Earthly Addictions
by Sideos
Summary: What do you turn to when you have nothing? Zim finds the answer in a needle. A tale of the iron grip of addictions and the deadly threat of drugs. Contains scenes of stuff that makes Conservatives cry so not for those of a weak disposition
1. Ego Taunting

A communiqué from the front line delivered by Invader Sideos: What am I doing! Its 12:37 am on a week day and I'm starting a new project! AGGG! Warning this fic contains images of seriously bad things. Things that your mother would shake her head at. Just thought I'd warn ya. So people, this is it. The long promised and finally delived fic about Zim doing drugs. I have been lead to belive that something of this fics...content has never ever been ettempted before, if I am correct then this is a glorious day for us all and, most importantly to me, I will go down as one of the originals...to be rememberd for all time! My friends, writers, Zim fans, prepare for my minds current greatest achivement.

This is mostly written to the Sex Pistols and Motley Crue...it seemed strangely appropriate.

I don't own Zim, I am not Vasquez and I never want to be.

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Zim leaned forward, trying to get his pencil to balance perfectly on his desk. With immense concentration he slowly placed the pencil down onto the scarred wood, letting it stand upright, balancing on the eraser end. He agonisingly, carefully, let the pencil go and took his hand away, a smile growing quickly on his lips. His eyes lit up with delight as the pencil stood still and upright on his desk. Suddenly the bell rang out and the class began to rush out the room.

Zim watched in panic as the pencil wobbled and swayed on the desk while the crowds of teens tramped past. He was still sitting down as they finally left, the pencil still stood upright.He sighed and relaxed back into his chair, closing his eyes in relief and not noticing a hand come from the side and flick the pencil over. He sprung up to see the pencil fall of his desk. He looked up and growled furiously at the boy smirking in front of him.

Zimraised a fist to his rivals face and shook it furiously. "Do you know how long it took me to do that, Dib? ALL LESSON!"

Dib just chucked at him. "Well, you've got the rest of the day to keep trying, Zim. Come on, it's lunch time." Zim grimaced and followed the teenage Dib out the class.

It had been almost 6 years since Zim had arrived on earth. After a while he and Dib had stopped fighting over the earth, it had got to one point where they had almost killed each other and only just managed to save themselves. After that day, they had agreed to stop fighting to such dangerously violent levels. The agreement stood as long as Zim didn't try to destroy earth and kill Dib, then Dib would stop obsessively watching Zim and trying to expose him. They had become friends to the outside observer, but on closer inspection they still bickered and fought constantly.

Dib had aged, no longer was he a child, he was now a thin tall teenage boy. His appearance however had changed little, he still wore his black trench coat and glasses, and he still had the scythe like cowlick in his hair. However, sometime during the last 3 years Dib had began wearing sky blue arm warmers, which he was never seen without. To match this change Zim had also grown, by messing around with growth hormones that were strangely not present in his PAK he had managed to catch up to Dibs height in days, but he was still about a half inch shorter then him.

Zim walked alongside Dib, still fuming at the fact that Dib had toppled his pencil. "You will pay for that, you know. No one flicks over the pencil of ZIM!"

Dib rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Zim, it was only a pencil."

They pushed through the lunch hall doors, still bickering. Even by the time they had sat down the 'pencil' argument was still raging. By the time Gaz sat down across from them they were almost at each others throats.

"Stupid stinky human!"

"Stupid slimy alien!"

"I am not SLIMEY!"

"I AM NOT STINKY!"

Gaz's growing growl shut them both up. A growl from Gaz meant they were arguing loudly enough to be heard over the already loud metal sounds from her ISlave, and it was never a good idea to annoy Gaz too much, or much at all really. Still, they gave each other one last evil glare before deciding to eat, or rather Dib and Gaz eating while Zim just played around with his food. After a moment of prolonged science between the two Zim looked at Dib's food, then looked at Dib's gloved hands.

If he hadn't been wearing his terrible disguise he would have raised an antenna in interest. "Why do you where those stupid glove-arm things?"

Dib stopped eating for a second to look at his arms, holding them out in front of him. His voice grew strangely reluctant. "Because."

Zim pressed again. "Because why?"

Dib snapped at Zim, his expression suddenly flipping to anger. "Because I want to, ok? You where your gloves all the time."

Zim looked at his own gloves and smiled. "Yes, but these are advanced Irken uniform gloves, and much better then yours."

Dib looked insulted. "What? My gloves are so much better then your gloves." Another argument erupted between the two that only ended when Gaz growled angrily. Again there was a moment of silence, before Dib decided to find a topic which hopefully wouldn't end in Gaz considering murdering the two of them.

"So," he said innocently "We've got that drug-ed class today."

Zim smirked "Yes, another chance to watch more pathetic humans destroy themselves."

Zim slumped back in his chair, crossing his arms and looking bored. The rest of the class looked similar, even Dib looked like he would nod off any time soon. The old black and white movie had been playing for several minutes, telling the class everything they already knew about every illegal drug under the sun. Zim groaned loudly in boredom and tried to see if the film was giving out any information that he could actually use. Despite the fact that he was no longer actually trying to take over the world himself, he still felt it was his invader's duty to collect information on the humans for when the armada came.

The screen flickered slightly, as a teenage jock and his perfect cheerleader girlfriend where presented with a handful of pills from an off screen person. A man's voice-over commentated on them, speaking for the jock and his girlfriend. "So, Billy, what do you do when you're at a party and someone offers you drugs?" The jock pushed the hand away. "That's right, just say NO." The film flickered back off and the lights flickered back on, relighting the room. The entire class groaned, stretched and yawned as the teens slowly came back to life. The teacher walked briskly to the front of his desk and leaned on it.

Zim and Dib's grade where taught by Mr Root, or as the class called him 'beetroot' because of his tendency to turn that particular colour when he got even the slightest bit angry. Which, since teaching Zim, was an awful lot. He was a balding man with a stalinist moustache. A harsh but fair teacher, he was nether hated nor particularly liked in the hi skool, but he was considered one of the best, if toughest, teachers there.

"Now," he casually started up. "There was one drug that wasn't covered in the film, so I can't let you go yet." The class groaned collectively and began to sit themselves back down again.

Mr Root cast them all an evil glare, but carried on. "This drug is relatively new to the scene, or so I'm told. It's called Aswermitus or A's...or so I've been told." Zim rolled his contacted eyes and decided to pay more attention to the class room window.

The teacher continued, despite the wall of bored teenagers. "This drug is hallucinogenic and also very highly addictive; in fact it's said to be possibly the most addictive substance known to the drug taking scene. It can lead to serious mental problems, weight loss and massive mood swings, the whole caboodle, kids. It is injected through the arm and can apparently be any colour; it's almost impossible to detect the drug through smell or taste and very small amounts can have a very big effect, which makes it perfect for dealing to you guys." A few of the class giggled and laughed, which Mr Root the advantage of to finish his talk. It was always good if you could send them out on a laugh.

"It's also very, very expensive, so that means none of you guys will ever be using it. Class dismissed." The students laughed quietly and began to file out the room. Zim got up and walked over to Dib, who was supporting his sleeping head on his hand that was supported by his elbow. Zim grinned viciously and decided to get some revenge for the morning's pencil insult. He side-punched Dib's elbow, sending his sleeping head crashing onto the desk and jolting the boy awake with a bang.

Zim laughed mercilessly and Dib gave him an evil look and picked himself off the desk. "Real funny, Zim. Come on, let's go."

The two argued all the way out the door and into the bright, but cold, mid-winters day. It was deep November and already the wind was picking up the cold chills of the coming winter. The trees had long since lost their leaves and their bare, lifeless arms, gave a subtle warning to the world that the time of short days and long nights was approaching. The people of the city had already begun wearing longer coats and Zim, Dib and Gaz were no exceptions. Dib had always had his trench coat, but Gaz seemed to have taken a leaf from her brother's book and had recently acquired herself an ankle long, black, trench coat also. Zim however, had begun wearing a militaristic looking, dull red, long coat as soon as the first leaves had began to fall from the trees. He had boasted about how the winters on Irk were so harsh that it used to be that only the strongest of the Irken people could have survived them to go on to breed, therefore only the strongest of their offspring would live to make their race pure of weakness for the next generation.

A few more insults and minor life threats later and Dib and Zim where angrily debating on which species could handle sunshine more while keeping just out of wrath range of Gaz. That didn't stop her from spinning round even now and then and threatening them to change the 'stupid subject' or be obliterated horribly.

A silence had just set in after Gaz had done just that and Dib, once again, started on a new subject. "So, what about that drug-ed class, eh? How boring was that?"

Zim grinned one of his rare grins of real humour. "Yes, I'm surprised that you can even remember it."

Dib faked innocence. "What? So I stay up late?

Zim continued regardless. "Ha, it was pointless anyway; we Irkens can survive any earth based chemical drug. I bet I could take a thousand...err...bits of that stuff and not even blink an eye lid."

Dib just bust out laughing, causing both Zim and Gaz to stop and turn around. Zim narrowed his eyes "What's so funny, earth monkey?"

Dib leaned against a wall and calmed down just enough to say. "You...on drugs...hilarious!"

Even Gaz cast a cruel smile and a short chuckle at the thought of it. Zim however, quickly grew angry. He clenched his fists and growled dangerously, but Dib kept laughing.

He roared and pointed a finger at Dib in an attempt to threaten him. "FOOLSIH HU-MAN. You dare insult Zim's tolerance of...stuff!"

Dib slowly picked himself up and, still shaking with laughter, wiped a tear from his eye. "Look, Zim, you couldn't handle any earth drug...ever."

Zim growled and poked Dib in the chest. "Yes I could, you stupid human. I am SUPERIOR!"

Dib idly slapped the hand away and turned to walk off. "Yea sure, whatever, Zim."

Zim glared after Dib as the boy walked off with Gaz, before angrily turning down the col-de-sac to his home.

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Ohhh, nice beginning I think. It will become more taboo later on. R&R please...or flame me! I accept reviews of all kinds, even really bad ones! (Someones got to give them a home.)


	2. Dr Feelgood

Invader Sideos talking please be seated in case you faint at the almightiness: Yea I'm beginning to think this thing could really work. Ta' for all your reviews and for my editor and beta reader. I gotta get to work more on chapter 9...I've been writing kinda slow lately, I suppose I just need to concintrate a bit more and stop watching Daria instead.

I hope you don't mind me making Zim have an Ooc moment here, it'll be over soon and to be honist its as in charicter as I could make it...dont kill m.

Mostly written to Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood.

I don't own Zim and his druggy junkie carcass.

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He was still furious as he walked into the front room. He tore off his disguise and decided to take some anger out on Gir. Looking round, however he couldn't see the little metal head case. "GIR! Come here at once! I want to rant about how much I despise Dib to you."

Suddenly Gir dropped head first from the ceiling, crashing into the floor. He switched into duty mode and gave a lopsided salute. "Sir. The Tallest called, they left a message."

Zim raised an antenna in interest. "Really? A message for me? What did it say?"

Gir flipped onto his feet, switching back into normal mode. "They like chickens! And burnt toast."

Zim massaged his eyes with two clawed fingers and sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll call em back. Computer, establish a link to the Massive."

The house seemed to groan loudly. "I don't wanna."

Zim shook a fist to the air and shouted. "I am your MASTER! Do as I command."

The computer sighed and slowly replied "Fine."

The TV switched to static, then to the Massive main deck and Zim saluted as his Tallest came into view.

The Tallest were sitting on two floating seats, smiling cruelly. They seemed to be greatly overjoyed about something. Red started up first, talking in a very casual, but cruel, voice. "Ahh, Zim. I see you got the message?"

Zim nodded. "You wanted to see me, my Tallest?"

Red smiled wider, and so did Purple. Red raised his two hands to bridge just under his eyes. "Yes, Zim, we have very sad news to tell you. It seems were going to have to strip you of your rank."

Zim took a step back in shock. "WHAT! Why? I have broken no laws."

Purple leant forward, his grin getting wider. "Ahh but that's where you're wrong, Zim. You see we're not blind, we can see you have increased in height over the years. Now, you know it's illegal to increase you height unnaturally."

Zim began to panic, but suddenly calmed down and said, almost arrogantly. "But, my Tallest, it's for the good of the mission. And by the Invader's code I can do anything to myself to further accomplish the mission."

Red narrowed his eyes cruelly and Zim flinched away from them. "Yes we know that, Zim. However, as of this morning we personally removed that rule."

Zim just stood there, gob smacked. "Now, did you or did you not use alien chemicals to increase your height?"

Zim stuttered back "Y-y-yes...but..."

Purple cut in quickly and harshly. "Then not only did you increase your height, you polluted your body with alien chemicals! That's a crime worthy of deletion!"

Zim collapsed onto his knees "Please, my Tallest, don't do this to me. I'll change myself back! I'll become short again..."

Red launched himself out of his seat in anger. He pointed accusingly at Zim and Shouted. "NO! It's too late for that, criminal!" His voice suddenly grew bitter. "However, we will spare you from deletion because that would mean bringing you back to Irk, and we really can't risk you being here."

Purple got up and hovered over to a control panel. "From now on you will no longer be an Invader, you will no longer even be Irken. You are free from banishment-I mean your mission on earth and now you are a nothing. You will live out the rest of your worthless days as a nothing. We will not collect your PAK when you die and you will not be added to the control brain's database."

Wires suddenly flew from the walls in Zim's house and smashed into his PAK, launching him off the floor. He watched in horror as his rank went from 'Food slave' to nothing. He realised that without a rank his PAK wouldn't respond to anything he told it to do. It would only keep him alive, nothing more, it wouldn't even bother to heal any injuries he could sustain, he had lost his greatest tool in under 5 seconds.

The Tallest grinned and cheered as they watched the wires go from Zim's back and as he collapsed onto the floor.

He jumped at the screen and at the laughing Tallest just in time to see Red turn to look at him and say "Goodbye...it. If you ever enter the Irken imperial realm you will be killed." The screen cut out and Zim, too shocked to speak, wandered over to his couch and almost fell down onto it. Gir, sensing his master was sad, crawled over to him. Zim's face was just staring straight at the screen in blank shock.

He waved a little metal arm in front of him, before saying out loud "What do they do on TV? Poor cheese on his head!"

Gir's head opened up as boiling cheese spurted out and hit Zim in the face. Zim screamed in agony and rolled around on the floor. Gir watched this and soon joined in his masters rolling and screaming.

Once the pain had gone Zim furiously picked himself up and glared at Gir, who was still rolling about. His fists clenched dangerously and his eye twitched with anger.

He spoke slowly in a weak attempt to control his vastly growing anger. "Gir...Why did you do that?"

Gir stood up straight with his tong sticking out, and said in his usual blissfully joyful voice "Cos master was all doomed lookin's."

Zim raised a fist, ready to punch Gir, but instead he found that he couldn't do it. He roared and hit the wall as hard as he could, much to the puzzlement of his robot slave. Looking at Gir's face, his anger melted away and, sighing, he questioned "Gir? Do you still follow my orders?"

Gir suddenly turned red and saluted. "Yes, sir. I am property of Zim and therefore will follow his orders to the last, sir."

Zim couldn't help but smile at the robots unquestioning loyalty. "Thank you, Gir, that actually makes me feel just a little better."

Gir faded back to cyan mode and took a squeaky skeleton out of his head. "Mr. Spooky thinks so too. INNE CUTE?" Gir squeaked the strange looking toy at Zim a few times before bounding off to the kitchen.

Zim looked up and raised an antenna in hope. "Computer? What about you? Do you still follow my orders?"

"I suppose, it's not like I've got anything else to do," came the casually bored reply.

Zim sat back down on the couch and began to think about what the Tallest had said and without realising he began muttering to himself. "Me worthless? I'll show them whose worthless, I'll show 'em all! I'll show Red, Purple, Dib, everyone. They'll be laughing on the other side of there big ugly faces when I've finished."

He shot up, pointing at the TV and screaming madly. "Do you hear that, Tallest? I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WORTHLESS!"

He began a mad pacing around the room, muttering wildly about ways to kill his enemy's, the Tallest and most of earth. He began to smash things up in a fit of insane rage and only stopped many hours later.

He collapsed onto the couch panting. It seemed he had wrecked most of the house and broken all the windows. He wandered over to one of the, now smashed, front windows rolling his eyes. "Great, now I'm going to have to board this up."

He looked up at the sky and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was night time. The cold cloudless night sky sparkled and winked down at him.

He stood looking out at the sky for a moment, before re-noticing the broken glass around the window frame. He scowled lightly and then grabbed his disguise. "Computer! I am going for something to eat. In the meantime I want the robot parents to board the window up until I come home and fix it myself."

The computer replied, sounding slightly confused. "Why don't I just fix the window?"

Zim, now with his coat and disguise on, spun round pointing at no one in particular and shouted angrily. "Are you saying I can't fix the window? ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT I AM TOO WORTHLESS TO FIX THE WINDOW?"

The computer hurriedly apologised. "No, no not at all. It's just that-"

"Good," Zim snarled. "I'll be back soon."

And at that, Zim stomped out the house and down the road.

The night's shadows stretched across the dark town, casting an evil tint on anything they touched and a cold, but not cruel breeze rustled the discarded newspapers on the empty, lifeless road. That was the great thing about the night, in the day the town would have been filled with humans going about their daily business, but at night there was nothing but quiet. The streets were almost totally empty with the odd exception of the night crawlers, the prostitutes, the drug dealers and the insomniacs.

Zim stared pitifully at the body of a sleeping hobo as he walked quietly past before he looked up at the tall flats that loomed over both sides of the street and at the decrepit state they were in. He shoved his hands in his pockets and growled at the filthiness of it, everything the humans did was filthy.

Again he turned up his nose, he was better then these dirt dwelling monkeys, and yet he had to live with them for the rest of his life. That was the true indignity, which was what angered him the most. That the Tallest had deemed him unworthy enough to live amongst civilised Irkens.

At least he knew that he was superior to anyone of these universal scum bags. He chuckled at the idea, him worthless! It was the Tallest who were making the biggest mistake, they would soon realise what they had lost and be begging for him to return. Yes, he would treat this little mishap as a break, a holiday from his mission. Clearly he deserved this, he had been working none stop for 6 years anyway.

He grinned smugly, he would show them who was worthless, but how? He turned down a dark alleyway after deciding he might as well go back home. The local k-mart was shut at this time and the nearest 24/7 always shut off the fizz-wiz machines, one of the few earth substances he could eat, in the early hours anyway.

He didn't seem bothered by the blackness of the ally, but he did scowl at the stagnant smell that radiated from the shadow covered sides.

Suddenly something moved within them and Zim noticed it. He immediately went into his fighter's stance. He may have been momentarily demoted but that didn't stop him from using his training to beat up some humans if they approached him.

His eyes narrowed at the darkened figure in the shadows and his voice grew as cold as the air around him. "Show yourself, filthy stink beast."

The figure stepped forward, holding his hands in front of him in peace. Zim estimated that the human had a strong build and must have been a few years older then the Dib monkey, it also appeared to be male. The figure was wearing a hooded top, so Zim couldn't see most of his face, but from what he could see, and the colour of his hands, he could tell the human was of African-American descent. He was also carrying a large backpack and was wearing dull baggy pants and sports shoes.

When he spoke his voice was light and airy, as if he and Zim were friends. "Chill, bro. I don't wanna jump ya or nothing. I was just wondering if you were wantin' any business."

Zim loosened his stance, but kept his voice cold and his eyes narrowed. "Business? What business do you talk of, stink beast?"

From behind the hood's shadow Zim detected a sly smile. "The business that can send you over da moon and beyond the God damm stars, my brother."

Zim raised an eyebrow. "Over the stars? I've already seen most of what's out there, and I doubt you can show me anything new."

The human chuckled. "So you a long timer, huh? Well, all the better then. I take it you aint never tried this." And from his pocket he drew out a vial with a corked stopper.

Zim's eyebrow again raised in inquisition. "What's that?"

The figure smiled slyly, and kept his hand open, making sure that he kept Zim's interest. "This? This is just some of the finest shit this side of L.A. You ever tried this stuff, bro? It's err...new on da scene. It's rare so it'll cost ya a few, buts it's all worth it, brother." And he chuckled again. "This stuff will make you feel so good; it'll blow your mind."

Zim would have turned the human away at this point, but the idea of feeling good after today's shock was quickly seducing him. "Humm, how much will this stuff cost?"

The figure put the vial back in his pocket his voice changing slightly to become more serious. "It'll be a thousand bucks, my brother."

Zim snorted. "Ha, then take it away, I'm not wasting a thousand earth moneys on something as little as that."

Zim was about to walk off, but a held out arm stopped him. The figure was now switching back to his persuasive mode. "Now don't be so hasty, my brother, let's strike a deal. You do want to feel invincible, now don't cha?"

Zim froze; the feeling of invincibility was something he would love to feel. Slowly he narrowed his eyes and an equally sly grin appeared on his lips. "Ok, human, I can give you five hundred earth moneys."

The figure suddenly acted like he had been shot, dramatising the hurt of a half price sale. "Ohh man, you hit me hard, bro, but not as much of a hit you'll get of this stuff. Ok, cos I like you mind, I'll let you have it for half, but you gotta have the cash up front."

Zim folded his arms and grinned smugly. "Deal."

He went into his PAK and drew out five hundred dollars; money was never a problem for Zim. He had long figured out how to duplicate earth money as to always keep up an appearance of normality. He would often walk about with thousands in his PAK in case he needed to buy something to appear normal.

The hooded figure matched Zim's grin and held out the vial, however just before Zim placed the money in his hand he paused. "What's your name, human?"

The figure chuckled slightly. "Just call me Dr. Feelgood."

Zim pondered on the strange name as he placed the money in the Dr.'s hand and took the vile.

He held it up to the dim moon light, the liquid's golden colour sparkling despite the darkness of the night, and questioned. "Hey, what do I do with this anyway?"

The Dr. smiled and, with his other hand, held out a syringe. "In the arm, brother."

Zim snatched up the needle and walked off grinning, looking forward to using this golden coloured good feeling liquid.

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Zim does not get to pass go and does not get to collect £200. Anyone care to take a guess at where the name 'Dr Feelgood' is from? I'll give you a hint, think 80's glam punk. Oh and the 'over the stars' bit wasn't meant to be a Jthm reference, but looking back I suppose you could count it ha. Next update could take a while...is about a week/ half a week ok? Next chapter will have...injectiony stuff so, just a warning. I'm not making this into an M though, no way.


	3. Bunny Girl

Invader Sideos, your ruler, is talking. Do not fart or he will kill you: Woo, I'm loving this fic. This chapters gonna be half song fic and contain scenes of drug use. Song is Golden Brown by the Stranglers. So very, very appropriate.

I don't own Zim and I think Jhonen would kill me if he ever read this.

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Zim slammed the door of his home and glanced in all directions, making sure that no one was around. Not that there would be, after all, it was his house. He walked into the centre of the room, constantly looking round for anything, or anyone, that could be watching. He did, however notice that the windows had been boarded up, providing some cover against the winter's creeping cold. He sat down on the couch and took out the vial, staring into its golden coloured contents. He held it at eye level and raised the Irken equivalent of an eyebrow critically. Would this tiny amount of stuff really make him feel invincible?

He shrugged, it was worth a try.

He took out the needle and rolled up his sleeve then he jammed it through the cork and filled the syringe fill of the golden stuff. His hand shook slightly as he drew it to his arm. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tight as he pushed the needle through his skin and emptied the contents into his body. He took the needle out the moment he felt the last of it go in and threw it onto the floor. He immediately felt odd, weird, he could feel himself shaking. He suddenly into a sharp and shaky gasp of pure pleasure and he closed his eyes he fell back onto his couch, simply letting the odd feelings rush though him, then he opened his eyes.

_Golden brown texture like sun_

_Lays me down with my mind she runs_

The room around him was changing, its colours melding together in wonderful shock of bright greens, blues and reds. He closed his eyes and when he reopened them a great smiling face was looking at him. It was a slim, pretty Irken girl dressed in a white toga with little bunny ears instead of antenna and dark blue eyes. She was about the same size as Zim was and she seemed to be standing over him, leaning and grinning down at him. Zim smiled, this girl seemed nice. She giggled and ran away into the purple field that was were his east wall used to be. Zim laughed and got up, following her though the great golden arches of the ancient looking pillars into the purple field.

_Throughout the night_

_No need to fight_

He looked up and watched the moon wave to him and the sun rise and smile. He looked forward again to see the pretty girl standing in front of a house that swayed and changed colours. He walked towards her, still smiling widely. She took his hand and a massive wave of pleasure swept over him. He heard her giggle and he turned back. He just saw her leg vanish behind the entrance to the swaying house's door.

_Never a frown with golden brown_

He chased after her and ran though the door. As he did he came out into a massive garden of deep reds, greens and purples. He wandered through, looking at the strange animals that scuttled around. One that looked like a fish with legs, a monocle and a top hat walked causally over to him and began opening its mouth. Zim crawled inside the fish and came out onto a new world filled with a great orange sea and a little boat that seemed to me mostly mast and only a little walking space.

_Every time just like the last_

_On her ship tied to the mast_

There she was. The pritty Irken bunny girl was standing on the boat waving to him. He ran over and the moment he stepped on the boat it began sailing. He looked from the port to the girl, who giggled and pointed to the orange ocean. He looked on in amazement as he watched the hundreds of strange sea creatures dance and play and swim and jump across the waves. Zim smiled and turned back to the girl, who was twirling her long ears. He smiled and reached forwards.

_To distant lands_

_Takes both my hands_

He gasped in bliss at the strange bunny girl's touch. When he reopened his eyes he could see her jumping off the boat and onto a new island which was nothing more then a massive castle. He jumped off and followed her in through the revolving door that showed many different pictures on each panel. When he walked in he laughed loudly, there where dogs running on the roof and cats chasing them. He saw a turtle creature swim past him in mid air and a gigantic cyan dragon came from the ground.

_Never a frown with golden brown_

He watched as the dragon curled around him and stopped. Zim nodded and climbed onto the dragons back and it began to fly through the roof of the castle and into the sky, into space. He turned and looked down on the earth as it vanished below him. He watched and saw the entirety of the universe shrink around him and the dragon. He held out his hand and watched as it shrunk into a snow ball. He looked at it then threw it as far as he could, it shattered in mid air and the world exploded back around him.

_Golden brown finer temptress_

_Through the ages she's heading west_

He watched as the bunny girl, and the floor, zoomed back towards him and he jumped off the dragon and onto the balcony of a great hall. She danced back, gesturing for him to follow her. He did and he came into a massive dancing hall, she went up to him and held him tight. He took her hand and they began to waltz around the hall, some strange peaceful music playing. He smiled and closed his eyes in the bliss of being with this strange girl and the music.

_From far away_

_Stays for a day_

As he danced the sun fell away and the moon reappeared, waving to Zim.He looked at it and waved back, grinning; the moon winked at him and continued its climb into the air. He looked back to the girl who grinned, showing off her sparkling white teeth. A sudden flash of light reflected off them and she vanished. Zim looked around, still grinning. He saw her at the door waving for him to come over. He laughed and ran to follow, but she darted off.

_Never a frown with golden brown_

_Na na na na, Na na na na_

Zim found her running down an impossibly long corridor. As he ran it seemed to grow and her laughter echoed louder and louder. However, Zim seemed to find this incredibly amusing and laughed along with her. Suddenly he seemed to be at the end of their corridor and she was there standing in front of a door. As he approached she opened the door and he saw his couch and his front room from a top down view. He turned to her, but she reached forward with one hand and took his chin. She kissed him on the lips and he slowly fell backward into his living room and onto his couch, feeling more invincible then he had ever done in his entire life.

_Never a frown_

_With golden brown_

_Never a frown_

_With golden brown. _

He felt himself hit the couch and after a moment he slowly opened his eyes, he felt so tired he could hardly move. He groaned as a massive headache smashed into his head. Every part of him felt like it had been running for three days non stop. He closed his eyes tight and growled at the pain of the headache.

"Computer," he mumbled. "Get me something to get rid of this ache in my mighty brain meats." A sudden glass of Irken water came up from the floor and Zim gladly took it. He gulped it down and sighed as he felt the headache lessen, Irken headache tablets acted fast. Zim creaked open an eye, glancing at the clock on the wall and almost fell of the couch in panic.

He ran over to the clock to make sure it was telling the right time. "Agg! I'm gonna be late for class!"

In the past Zim wouldn't have cared about being late. However in the last few years the hi-skool had began striking down hard on truancy. Very hard. He had heard stories about what had happened to kids who had skipped class and he gulped. Even the Irken torturers on the prison planets weren't that cruel. He grabbed his coat and thanked some higher power that he had left his disguise on from last night. Then, despite the fact he felt like he would collapse at any moment, he rushed out the door and down the street while squinting at the brightness of the sun.

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Very short I know but this chapter is all about the trip. The next chapter is gonna be funny, its question time with Dib and a junkie Zim.


	4. Itchy Skin

Tattooed on your wrists by Invader Sideos: Woo, I wrote the entire of chapter 3 in one night and I'm already on chapter 4! Yea Zim getting cravings already. I'm gonna try and make this as real as I can using real junkie experiences and stuff, anything I could get from my ex-junkie friend anyway. (She's clean now...YAY!) First intro bit written to Iggy pop - Lust for Life. It's so very, very Trainspotting...

I don't own Zim...damm no drinking nights with him then.

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The main door to the skool smashed open, knocking over a student in the process, as something green and red rushed through it. Zim skidded round a corner, almost bouncing off a wall, and rushed down the corridor as fast as his aching limbs would carry him. Knocking over several more students in his mad rush to get to class on time, he glanced at a clock on the corridor wall. Only two minutes until he was officially late for class, and then they would send the truancy police after him. He had heard they were ruthless in their searches, often driving up and abducting the missing kids off the streets and holding them in the underground classrooms.

Zim growled and shouted as he smashed through a group of preps. "GET OUT OF MY WAY, EARTH SCUM!" He heard several death threats follow him down the hall, but he didn't care; he was Zim, nothing harmed Zim.

He tore round another corner and saw the door to his class. Grinning in triumph he bounced of the opposite wall and smashed though the door, landing on his side with a heavy thump, just as the clock struck 8:00, causing the entire class to jump.

He immediately sprang up and shouted dramatically. "ZIM IS HERE!"

The entire class erupted with laughter and Zim took the chance to get quickly to his seat. The teacher, Mr Root, was sitting at his desk with his pen just hovering above Zim's name on the register.

His face immediately flushed purple with anger. "So, Zim." He began, slowly and dangerously. "You decided to grace us with your presence. What's the excuse this time?"

Zim, panting slightly, began to twiddle his fingers together as he said nervously. "I had a very...interesting night."

There were a few giggles from some of the girls in the class and Zim raised a none existent eyebrow at them before turning back to Mr Root, ignoring the girlish titters that now whispered around the class.

"Really?" Mr Root snarled. "Then I advise you to not have any more...interesting nights, until the weekend. Understood?"

There where a few more giggles, but Zim ignored them and saluted. "Yes, sir."

Mr Root gave a cruel smile "Good." He got up and proceeded to start the lesson. Zim took the opportunity to take a quick glance over to where Dib was sitting. The teenage boy simply gave Zim a confused look and mouthed the words "What the hell?"

Zim looked back down to his desk blankly; he didn't think he should tell Dib about what he did last night. Mainly because it would inevitably lead to admitting he was no longer an invader. Last night was a one off, something to cheer him up. It wasn't like he would ever do it again, no matter how nice it was.

A few more hours into the day however, and Zim was beginning to think differently. It was around first-break it began. He was sitting outside on a strangely warm day, feeling as though it was growing colder then the earth's Arctic. He folded his arms and held onto his elbows as though it was freezing, and he actually shivered. He glanced around as if looking for the answer to why it had grown so cold, but this only made him feel colder. He watched the other students walk or run about as if it was a perfect mid-summer day, which it was.

He felt the uncomfortable feeling of goosebumps run along his arms and he shivered again. Instinctively he clenched his claws, and in doing so he scratched his arms. Immediately he felt a horrible need to do this again, as he felt an itch develop on his skin. He scratched his arms and cringed at the feeling of his skin. It was cold and clammy; he shut his eyes tight and shivered. He was an Irken; Irkens are built against the cold, so why was he feeling this way on such a pathetic day? Slowly he felt a rising need in his stomach, like he was going to be sick, but he knew he wouldn't. He brought his legs up to the bench and wrapped his coat around him. He stayed curled like that until a shadow fell over him.

"Zim?" Came the familiar voice. "What's wrong? Have you got some sort of weird space alien disease?"

Zim creaked open his eyes to glare at Dib and slowly let his legs back down from his chest, but he kept his arms held tight. "I'm fine, Dib stink, just a little cold."

Dib sat down next to the Irken and he gave Zim a curious look. "Are you sure? You don't look well."

Zim turned and snapped "I'M FINE! Just leave me alone, please. I'm not in the mood for your annoying, annoyance-ness today."

Dib leaned slightly away from Zim with a shocked look, before resettling on the bench and looking across the hi skool yard. They sat like that for a moment before Dib looked up into the sky and casually said. "So...wanna tell me why you had to jump though the door today to stop yourself from being late?"

Zim narrowed his eyes and didn't turn to look at Dib, his voice having the same manner. "No."

Dib cast a sideways glance at Zim and looked up again. "Really? Cos I've heard quite a few theories walking round today."

This caught Zim's interest and he finally turned his contact lensed eyes to Dib, but he still refused to fully turn to face him. "Like what?"

Dib tapped lightly on the table and looked around, still in his casual tone. "Ohh you know...the usual stuff."

Zim turned to face Dib, with a growing annoyance at the human. "What? Tell me, Tell Zim." He said drawing out his name.

Dib grinned wickedly, knowing that the information would hurt Zim. "Just stuff...about you...and some unnamed girl...interesting nights."

Zim looked at Dib, confused for a second, then it dawned on him what Dib was implying. "Wha...That's just...AGG! You humans are DISGUSTING!"

Dib chuckled at Zim's horrified expression for a moment before raising an eyebrow and giving Zim a 'well?' look.

Zim cringed at this and looked away. "You can't really believe that, human. I would never; NEVER do a thing like that. I think I would rather be fired into the sun then degrade myself by mating with one of your filthy species." However, as he said this, the image of the Irken bunny girl came into his head and he gulped involuntarily, that sick feeling in his squeedlyspooch growing just a little stronger.

Dib missed this, however, and instead shoved Zim a little, a crafty smile forming on his face. "Well what did happen?"

Zim immediately went back to feeling annoyed. "Nothing, human, nothing. I was just very busy with...stuff that wouldn't in anyway be of any interest to you."

Of course this immediately made Dib want to know what had happened, his already over active sense of curiosity going into overdrive. "Oh come on, Zim. It's not like I'm gonna tell anyone and you know that I'm gonna find out eventually anyway."

Zim got up and began walking away, not to escape Dib, but because he need to stop the feeling of numbness that had crawled into his feet and was threatening to infect his legs. Dib got up and went into step beside him, staring at his face for an answer.

Zim knew he couldn't tell Dib about what he did, but if he didn't say something then the boy would begin his digging and Zim knew from personal experience that Dib's investigating was a force to be reckoned with. His mind fell on his base and he grinned as an idea formed quickly in his mind. "I was doing some upgrades on the Voot Cruiser and I lost track of time."

However, Dib wouldn't give up so easily. "That still doesn't explain why you don't look well."

Zim turned to look at Dib and smiled, partly at his own genius and partly to keep up the excuse. "Yes, well, you try working all night non-stop with dangerous fuel fumes and Gir not helping by breaking the air conditioning."

Dib looked thoughtful, then shrugged in acceptance. "That would explain a lot and why you don't look well. Wait, why didn't you just wear a mask or something?"

Zim sighed and rolled his eyes, clearly Dib was not going to drop it. "Because I am Zim, stupid, I need no mask to cover fumes. Zim can survive anything."

Dib raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Zim, sometimes you're really stupid, you know that?"

The Irken gave Dib one of his best 'I hate you human' stares before they walked on, changing the subject to how humans would have died instantly on the fumes given by Irken fuel and Dib arguing against him.

An hour later Zim was sitting uncomfortably at his desk. He must have shifted from leaning on one arm to the other and back in under ten seconds each time. Instead of feeling better, as he thought he would have as the day went on, he had only felt worse. He had considered simply ducking out of class and going home to find out exactly what was wrong with him, however the threat of the truancy police had kept him in his place.

He had caught Dib looking over a few times, only to then see the boy laugh, shake his head and look back down to his work. He felt an itch begin to grow across his arm and despite his most powerful attempts to ignore it, he gave in and scratched. He immediately regretted it, as he felt it grow stronger. The odd thing about the sudden bursts of itching was that it wasn't just on his skin, it was under his skin. It made him cringe at the feeling, both when he scratched and the general feeling of it. His squeedlyspooch was still punishing him and made him feel like he should be leaning over a bucket rather then a desk. He looked up to the clock, begging it to strike four o'clock and end the day so he could retreat back to the safety of his base.

"And so, class, that rounds up the way veins carry oxygen up and down the body. Any questions?" Usually at this point of Mr. Roots lecture Zim would have began correcting him on what Zim perceived to be mistakes or weakness but with his current illness he stayed quiet, something which caught the interest of the teacher.

Mr. Root looked over to Zim with mild curiosity. "No rants, Zim? No pathetic attempts to preach your own version of human biology that is so often wrong?"

Zim gave Mr. Root a snide stare that only he could give and look back at the clock.

Mr. Root ignored the look and shuffled his papers. "Well, class, if Zim's not going to spend a good ten minutes arguing with me then I suppose I could let you go early. But don't tell your parents. Class dismissed."

The class cheered slightly and began to move themselves out of the classroom, Zim got up more quickly than the rest and was halfway down the corridor before Dib managed to catch up with him. The teen gave Zim a sharp poke in the arm, which Zim could have strangled him for as it set off a horribly powerful under skin itch.

"Hey," Dib started in an annoyed tone. "Wait for Gaz, remember? I know you're not well, but come on, you can wait five minutes."

Zim felt one of his eyes twitch. "FINE, just don't poke me again."

A few more minutes later, the three hi skool students were walking down the road, and Dib was happily ranting on about his latest pictures of Bigfoot and how he was living just down the street from him. Zim still felt the cold clammy feeling on his skin, but the pit of the squeedlyspooch sickness had died off slightly. The itching also seemed to have moved to his arm, just where he had placed the needle. He gave it another weak scratch and then held back the feeling to cringe at himself. Luckily for him no one seemed to have noticed and he assumed Dib must think that he was only shivering because of the quickly coming winter.

He smiled weekly as he saw the entrance to his cul-de-sac; finally he could get home and find a way to get rid of these weird sensations.

Dib suddenly turned to Zim. "What do you think?"

Zim looked up with mild, un-bothered confusion. "What? Oh err...yes."

Dib raised an eyebrow. "I asked you weather you think I should use my zoom lens or the anti-fog on Bigfoot." He sighed. "You weren't listening, were you?"

Zim cast a cruel smirk. "Not really."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Fine then, I was gonna use the zoom lens anyway." Zim smirked again and was about to cross the road to get to his home when Dib held out an arm to stop him. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Zim shoved the arm away, perhaps too harshly. "I'm fine Dib stink, but I'd feel much better if you stopped asking me stupid questions."

"Ok." Dib shouted half heartedly across the street. "I'll see you on Monday then."

Zim just kept walking down his street, waving a hand casually; he had a lot of work to do.

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Wooo...addictions are a bitch eh? This chapter finished at 12:33 am and I'm thinking whether it's worth it starting on the next chapter now...Naa, some rest will sharpen up me ol' brain meats. I came back and added some more after a night of some small expenditure (Read: Drink) I really just wanted to make you all feel squeamish at Zim's conditions. Answermitus is one fast acting, quick gripping drug, take one shot and you're done for.


	5. I'm Not Worthless

Invader Sideos sends this offer of peace Sir: Hummm...I've no idea how I'm going to start this but I do know what I want in it. So yea...I finally got round to getting me collage comic project coloured in and the second ones being made now. That's good news.

Written to Gorrilaz - Clint Eastwood and a bit of Guns n Roses.

I-a don't-a own-a Zim-a

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Zim sat down on his couch in the dimness of the front room, his right claw clutched the side arm of the couch and his eye twitched. Slowly a snarl etched itself onto his face and a quiet growl began in his throat. Suddenly he tore of a piece of the couch and threw it at the wall, roaring in confused anger. He got up and began pacing around, opening and closing his clawed hands constantly.

He slowly began to mutter to himself darkly. "What is this? I cannot work. I cannot sit still, AND WHATS WITH THIS FEELING IN MY VAINS!"

He stormed about shouting and raving at nothing. When he had gotten in from Hi-Skool he had immediately rushed into his labs to begin finding a cure for his illness, but he had found he couldn't concentrate. He soon found that he couldn't do anything for long, his skin itched no matter how much he scratched and he would have sudden rushes of chills and goose bumps that would last from minutes to hours, but worst of all was this new feeling.

From the moment he had got in he had looked at the small syringe lying on the floor and that was it. His very body seemed to be calling for him to use that needle again, to find more of that good feeling liquid, and to go back to the land of the Irken bunny girl. He had tried to ignore it, but his mind wouldn't budge and his body was with his mind.

He stormed out of the front room and into the kitchen, immediately calling up an elevator to take him to the labs. If he couldn't work from free will, then he would force himself to work, no matter how hard it was. However, even in the lift down he could feel the creeping of the itch along his arms and under his skin and there was a sweat on his back as cold as the ice outside. Everything he saw seemed to be reminding him of that wonderful place where he was so happy; where the sun and the moon waved to him; where he had ridden that dragon; where he had kissed the bunny girl. He closed his eyes and smiled warmly at the thought of the girl, he couldn't understand why the very idea of an Irken with bunny ears and a toga would cheer him up, but he was secretly glad it did.

His thoughts changed as he walked into the main computer area and shivered, despite the warm central heating. He demanded to the computer that all conditioners where to be turned off and the heating increased while he hugged himself tightly and tried to suppress the urge to scratch the creeping itch in his arms. He shivered again, clenching his arms tightly, before forcing himself over to the keyboard to start searching on his various symptoms.

He muttered slightly as he typed, not really noticing he was doing it. "Let's see, cold clammy skin, shivers, this HORRIBLE itching, this illness in my squeedlyspooch, goosebumps and this..." He stopped, trying to decide the best way of describing the way his body called for the drug.

His hands hovered over the keyboard buttons before he decided on the most literal description. "...hunger."

He sent the command. While the computer analysed the problems, he lent back and closed his eyes, bringing his legs up onto the chair and hugging his arms around them, trying to comfort his worn, ill body.

He thought about what he had seen in that place. He knew it was a hallucination and it was all in his head, but he wanted to go back. Oh how he needed to go back. He would do so tonight. He smiled, yes; he would find that Dr. human and receive more of that stuff. Maybe he would feel better if he did, at least it might take away some of the things he was feeling. Something that good couldn't be the source behind his illness.

A sudden beeping from the computer screen quickly brought him back to reality.

He jolted upright and looked excitedly at the data as the computer told him its diagnostic. "I have analysed the symptoms and I have decided that you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms."

Zim's expression went from excited to furious in under half a second. "WHAT? I am ZIM! I do not get withdrawal symptoms from ANYTHING. I haven't taken anything to get withdrawal symptoms from!"

"What about that stuff you injected into your arm last night?" The computer replied in an unusual know-it-all sounding way.

Zim stood up so fast the chair flew across the room. He smashed his fists down on the keyboard and shouted so loud that even Gir, who was in the above level playing hide and seek with a cheese roll, looked shocked. "THAT STUFF MADE ME FEEL BETTER!"

The computer quickly replied in a very informative manner. "Zim...master, I have detected high levels of an unknown substance in your blood stream. This substance is causing your body to act in a manner that makes it think it needs more of that substance. I strongly advise you to order a serum to destroy this unknown substance."

Zim suddenly turned away from the computer, a mad light dancing in his red eyes. "Are you suggesting that I cannot get rid of this substance myself? Are you, my own computer, suggesting that I need you to cure myself of this illness?"

The computers A.I. personality decided to approach its master as cautiously as possible; the substance was clearly causing a physiological effect as well as a physical withdrawal.

Slowly it began. "No, not at all...sir. I am just suggesting that-"

"-I DONT PAY YOU TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS!" The infuriated Irken shouted back.

If the computer could have raised an eyebrow, it would have done. "You don't pay me at all..."

Zim turned back round, most of his sanity momentarily lost to the hunger of his body for the drug and the anger at being perceived as anything but supiriour; it shone though his eyes, making them light up dangerously in the dimness of the lab.

He pointed a shaking finger at the computer screen, his voice also shaking with an insane rage. "So, now you're saying I cannot go one day without the drug. Well...I'll show you. YOU DARE CALL ME WORTHLESS!"

The computer again answered, this time sounding ever so slightly worried. "I didn't say anything..."

Zim howled in rage and grabbed the chair from the other side of the room, holding it high above his head. He turned back to the computer screen growling like some primal animal and slowly, dangerously, and almost whisperingly quietly he said. "I'll show you all..."

He then roared and hurtled the chair at the screen, smashing it into a million pieces and short circuiting the room into total darkness.

------

Zim's boots echoed down the street, as the still disgruntled Irken walked though the freezing cold night. His long winter's coat whipped around his ankles as a chilling light wind blew across the city. It had been almost a day since he last felt the drug enter his body, and he was still feeling the chills, goose bumps and itches. He had expected them to go, but they had stayed, only growing more and more in intensity.

Eventually he had just walked out of the house, sick of the computer's warnings, and he had been walking round for hours. The night had rolled in again, and again the city had fallen silent to the darkness. Zim was glad of the cold, the temperature drop had made it easier to cope with what he was feeling inside and it took some of the bite away from the itching under his skin.

Zim saw fewer people out this night then the last time he was out this late, it seemed even the bottom dwellers had gone into hibernation for the swiftly coming winter. However, even without the humans around the place still reeked of them.

The walls of the decrepit buildings were still stained with graffiti, the pavement still besotted with discarded litter. Zim scoffed, did the humans really have such little respect for their own mother planet?

He had been walking the streets for hours, trying to find a way to calm down, to get rid of the horrible feelings and to cure himself. The computer had tried to stop him from going outside, but Zim had used his authority to override it. He grinned wickedly; he loved the control he still had over his machines. No matter how many bad decisions he had made over the years they had always backed him. It was without any choice of course, but either way he still enjoyed the fact that he was master and commander of things more powerful then the entire human military put together. Yes, no matter how much he lost he always had control over his robotic minions. He felt safe in the knowledge that they would always be loyal to the last.

Zim was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he had walked into a rather familiar dark, frosted ally until he came round to the figure in front of him.

He stopped and narrowed his eyes. "So, we meet again, human Feelgood."

The Dr. grinned wolfishly in the half shadow cast over his face. When he spoke his breath came out in the mist of the cold air. "Indeed, ma brother, we do. So...you back for more A?"

Zim frowned in a curious way, but at the same time he was trying to control the hunger that had exploded in his veins at the mention of more of whatever it was he had taken. The result was a sort of discomforted half scowl. "No, but I would like to buy more of that golden liquid you sold me. I...enjoyed it."

The Dr. chuckled darkly. "I bet you did, and I bet you been feelin' like shit all day, right?"

Zim was secretly shocked, but he quickly hid it. "No, no of course not. Zim is never this 'shit' feeling you speak of."

Again the Dr. chuckled. "Sure, sure, ma brother. Whatever you say. Look, I know you been feelin' like shit. And I am prepared to give you the cure."

At this he held out a vial of a greenish looking liquid that, apart from the colour, looked remarkably like the one Zim had been offered the night before. Zim almost leaped at it, his eyes lit up with a hunger that was threatening to totally consume him in both mind and body. The dealer must have noticed as he smiled slyly, but also put the vial back in his hoody pocket carefully.

Zim could make out a slight sparkle in the Dr.'s eye as he made his offer. "One thousand, my brother and you can go and touch the sky and eat the clouds."

Zim felt his skin begin to itch around the healing needle prick, he clenched his claws tightly in an effort to control his body's screaming desire for the liquid. "Yes, yes whatever stink beast."

He quickly drew out a bunch of bills from his PAK and thrust them at the hooded dealer, who just grinned triumphantly and handed over the vial and the needle. Zim snatched them out his hands and turned to walk off quickly.

However the dealer shouted from behind him, making the Irken stop and turn around. "The stuff is called A's my brother."

Zim raised an eyebrow. "A's?"

The dealer grinned as he melted back into the shadows. "A's...Aswermitus...Just so ya know."

Zim nodded, not truly caring, he had his cure now and he quickly proceeded home to use it.

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I'm in love with this chapter. It's so...raw it's unbelievable; it's even started to make me think that I may be developing some sort of talent for this writing malarkey. I mean, today I went to this big university convention centre my collage all went to and some guy in an specialist art uni said 'You look like the creative type' when I talked to him about the writing course. While writing this I'm beginning to drift, musically, back into the Blues. I think it may show a bit, it's all good.

R&R please, you know you love it...ohh yea...review it good. (Is scared at own comment)


	6. Two weeks on

Invader Sideos commanders you: Blink, blink, blink goes the black line. It is the gateway to words that can cause the reader to smile in joy or cry in sadness. We writers must prise this gateway and use it to our best. I do not know what to write in this chapter...hopefully something great will come out. Who knows...I have so many things I want Zim to go through but I just don't know how I'm going to fit them in. P.S SORRY ABOUT THE MASSIVE WAIT! Unlike me other people seem to have lives that don't involve just eating/sleeping/writing/collage/drinking (cherry coke or cider).

Written mostly to Alabama 3 and various Blues songs.

I don't own Zim. If I did I would be much richer them I am now.

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Zim sat, curled up on the closed toilet seat, shivering uncontrollably. His claws gripped the sides of his arms so tightly they were almost piercing the skin. His eyes were shut tight and his zipper teeth were clenched in a grimace. His coat was wrapped tightly around him in a weak attempt to stop his skin crawling from the internal cold he felt.

Zim slowly opened his eyes and precariously reached out for the cubical door, gingerly getting off the toilet seat at the same time. He shakily staggered over, across the stained and sticky boy's bathroom floor, to the dirty mirrors on the opposite wall. He grabbed the sides of the filthy sink as if it was the last thing in the world, and slowly raised his eyes up to meet them in the mirror. He stared into them coldly and at the same time took in the disguised Irken that stood in the mirror before him.

Zim had now been regularly taking Aswermitus for two weeks and it had taken its toll on him. His skin had lightened, losing its once healthy green sheen,however it had darkened round his eyes giving the impression he had not slept in several days. He could see his cheekbones just coming through his face and he had visibly lost a lot of weight, even Gir had gone as far as to say he looked like a popsicle.

He narrowed his eyes at the pathetic looking creature in the mirror. For a moment he couldn't believe it was him. Had his habit really done that to his body? He growled and the figure in the mirror also growled, perfectly in time. Zim growled louder and raised a fist to the mirror, the reflection copying his actions. Zim went to punch the mirror, but stopped just short of it. Slowly he put a shaking fist down and began chuckling quietly to himself. He closed his eyes and smiled while shaking his head. He couldn't believe he was about to punch a reflection of himself.

However, his eyes shot up after he had stopped laughing, for the reflection hadn't stopped. In fact, it was laughing louder and louder, its voice growing more and more harsh and twisted. Zim backed away from the sink in shock; reflections usually don't laugh at you. He backed away until his PAK hit the cubical door, then the mirror image stopped to grin evilly at him. Its eyes shone with venom and every part of it radiated malice.

It spoke mockingly to Zim. "So you're talking to mirrors now? You're going crazy."

Zim's pride rushed into him, making him re-gain his backbone. "I am not going CRAZY and I do not talk to MIRRORS!"

The mirror Zim grinned wider. "What do you think you are doing right now?"

Zim went to argue, but only seemed to be able to open and close his mouth in numbed shock. The mirror narrowed its eyes at him. "You filthy, stinky, stupid excuse for an Irken. Talking to mirrors is a defective practice, you know."

Zim clasped his hands to the sides of his head and shut his eyes. "No, no, no. I'm not hearing this."

The mirror laughed even more before glaring back at him. "You're nothing any more. Invader Zim? HA! You don't even deserve the name Zim."

Zim shut his eyes tighter and ground his teeth, while pressing his hands harder to the sides of his head. "Shut up, SHUT UP!"

The mirror Zim pressed forward, clearly enjoying the torture. "You know what, Zim? You're worthless."

Zim snapped at that word; the word he had banned in his own base; the word that haunted him. He lunged forward, slamming his fist into the mirror and shattering it into a thousand pieces. For a moment he stood there, panting at the sudden burst of anger, while staring into the thousands of shards of glass that used to be a mirror. He began to feel a pain reach across his hand and he looked down to find it bleeding slowly from a large gash across his knuckle where the smashed glass had cut though his black glove and into his hand. He slowly clenched and unclenched a slightly shaking fist before sighing. He quickly took offhis glove and wrapped some paper towels around his cutbefore replacing the gloveand storming out.

As he did so he quietly muttered to himself."I hate these hallucinations."

---

Zim kept to the sides of the hall as the herd of students walked past him. His shoulder almost brushed along the lockers as he veered away from any contact with the humans. He hardly let anyone or anything touch him nowadays. Anything that could set the itching off under his skin was to be avoided. The shivers had now become random and stronger in occurrences. He would feel them coming, starting in his hands. Then they would slowly reach across his body, infecting every cell. The moment he felt them coming he would dash off to the toilets to sit them out.

His skin would crawl with cold sweats and goose bumps, also on regular occurrences. However, these were much easier to cover up as the winter had come early and it was already snowing lightly. He would just look like he was wrapping up tighter whenever he could feel a shiver run up his body.

Zim rounded a corner and found an empty bench; he smiled warmly and sat down, leaning back against the wall. Without truly realising it he ran a hand up his arm brushed across the area where, under his coat and shirt, lay the small pinprick of where the needles went in. The gateway to his escape from this filthy reality.

The spot on his arm and some of his insides warmed at the thought of his nightly escapes. No one else in this wretched skool knew what he was doing, and that made it even better, the land he would travel to was all his own, no one else's. There he reigned king of everything...including the bunny girl. He grinned even more at the thought of her, he had soon realised what she was and why he liked her so much. She was a visual representation of the drug itself, its every touch lighting his very being on fire with joy and pleasure and power.

The only reason he ever bother coming in to hi skool nowadays was to avoid the truancy police swooping in on him and carting him off to some cell for the rest of his existence. That is, if they didn't find out the numerous needles and empty vials lying around his base. He had been told by Dr Feelgood that what he was doing wasn't allowed by earth law, so he had to be careful about it.

Yes he had everything under control, there was only one thing that was threatening to disturb this balance and it was standing over him right now.

"Do I even need to say anything at this point?" came the annoyingly familiar voice. Zim opened one eye to glare at Dib, before closing it shut again. It seemed that whenever Dib came near him Zim's skin always began to itch. Well, whenever he came too near anything now his skin began to itch.

He clenched his claws onto his elbows and snarled back. "Shut up, Dib-stink, can't you see I'm resting?"

Dib sat down next the Irken and folded his arms, while pulling his arm warmers up tighter. "I thought Irkens don't sleep?"

Zim growled again and placed his feet up on the bench so he could rest his chin on his knees and fold his arms across his mouth. "We don't and I'm not. I said I was resting, we can rest if we want to, you know."

Dib rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you've been doing lots of 'resting' lately. Seriously, Zim, what's up?"

Zim didn't move for his answer, but made sure to show the annoyance in his voice. "Nothing is 'up', earth boy."

Dib turned to look at Zim, a serious annoyance in this eyes and a slight worry in his voice. "OH COME ON, ZIM! Look at you! Your clothes are falling off you, you look like God damm bottle of milk and every time I go to talk to you, you just curl up like some tortoise into its shell. Just what is going on?"

Zim snapped back to Dib, spinning round to face him head on. Dib fell back slightly at the anger in Zim's eyes. "NOTHING IS WRONG! ZIM IS GOOD! Now drop the subject, I do not wish to spend any more of my mighty breath on this stupid subject." Zim went back to his previous position.

Dib looked shocked, but he quickly composed himself and stood up.

He looked down pitifully at Zim and almost sadly said. "I know something is going on, Zim...and if you're not prepared to tell me then fine, see if I care any more."

A weird, unfamiliar,part of Zim suddenly reared up inside him, what was it? There was something in Dib's eyes that made him want to tell him everything. The habit, the drugs, the bunny eared Irken girl, but his soldier training pushed it back down and Zim mumbled. "Leave me alone, Dib."

The human stood looking at his alien friend for a moment longer before, shaking his head and walking away. Zim just hugged himself tighter as he felt the massive need for another fix begin to boil in his veins.

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Zim trenched up the snow covered pavement towards his house, tightly wrapping his coat around him in a natural response to the snow. The whiteness of the snow was reflecting the sunlight, making everything glow with a brilliant freshness that could only been seen in the winter. Zim however, couldn't care less. All he wanted now was to go into his house and wait until it was dark enough to go and get more A's, after today he felt like he needed one more then ever.

Dib had refused to talk to him since their meeting on the bench and Zim had been forced to walk alone, but he didn't really care. All he could think about was when he could go back to the drug induced land of joy. He snarled at the though of Dib ignoring him, causing a visible mist of frozen breath to escape his mouth.

Zim slammed the door on his now dirty and decrepit looking home and threw off his disguise, before flopping down onto his badly damaged couch.

The TV was playing away to no one and a trail of litter leading into the kitchen told Zim that Gir had been here previously. He lent back on the couch, enjoying a moment of quiet and health. He didn't care much for Dib's opinion, but what he had said to him stuck in his mind causing him to slowly mouth. "See if I care any more."

It was a strange feeling, Zim had never really had anyone apart from his robotic minions, but he never really cared if they liked him or not. They were under his orders and were forced by programming to obey him.

Dib however, was not a minion or under Zim's command in anyway, but still he put up with him. Why? He had nothing to gain from it any more. It's not like they even got along very well, so why did he sit with Zim every day at Hi Skool? Why did he bother walking home with him? Why did he sound...concerned for Zim's health?

Zim scowled, it's not like they were friends or something. He sat there, trying to figure out the teenage human's motives behind his actions, trying to figure out exactly what the Dib had to gain from trying to aid Zim.

"These damn humans...I'll never figure them out" Zim quietly mumbled to himself. He sighed and got up to go into the kitchen, a different hunger rumbling within him. He managed about two waffles, before deciding that if he ate another bite he would be sick. Not because he couldn't handle eating any more, but because his body's need for a fix would override any other need and if he ignored this then his body would reject the food and Zim didn't feel up to throwing up today.

He desperately looked at the clock hanging from the filthy kitchen wall, it was only six thirty and he knew the earliest he could go to get another vial was at least twelve. He cringed at his own drug cravings and held his head in his hands while leaning on the kitchen table.

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Wow, I finally finished this...it took me some time I can tell ya. Even though it's kinda short it really just serves as a middle ground point.

Iconic line right there 'Its not like were friends or something', that will come back to haunt him...

At least I now have the rest of the night to work on the next chapter. Ok so this is officially the middle, and therefore the beginning of the end of the fic. So let's review shall we?

1: Zim is an official junkie, but is in denial about it...or maybe not, even I'm not sure. I think he's accepted bing on drugs, but he wont think of himself as a real addict. 2: Dib knows something up, but Zim's coldness is stopping him from finding out exactly what it is. 3: I had a great walk home from collage today (really!) and it kinda reflected here with the snow description and such (It's been a snowin!).

Anyway R&R...we command you to! (What's with the we?) And we'll try to get the next chapter up faster next time. (More of the 'we'...craaaazzzyyyy.)


	7. Greedy little Irken

Invader Sideos says: What I'm not in the mood for an elaborate intro today, ok? Yea so, started same day as I finished chapter 6. Lots of drama in this chapter. Oh, also I need some suggestions on how to proparly rate this...genre wise. It's staying a T rating no matter what.

Warnings! Contains scenes of drug overdoses, which isn't nice. But what's worse is that I have to reveal my big plot crux in the opening sentence...GRR! I HATE WARNINGS!

Written mostly to the Sex Pistols - I Wanna Be Me and Higsons - Tear the Whole Thing Down (It fits so well) and probably lots of Ska and stuff.

I don't own Zim...disclaimers are sucky.

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Zim quickly strode down the darkened, frozen street. He shivered from the cold, but also from the growing cravings from within his own veins calling out desperately for a fix. He had barley kept down the waffles as the hours had crawled by while he sat in his dark, depressing house. He had been checking the time every minute and eventually he had strode out of his base, simply because he couldn't stand sitting around anymore. However, the freezing cold of the winter night had done little to stop his hunger.

He looked around the street he had already walked past at least twenty times tonight. The building windows glowed with dim but warm lights that made Zim shiver even more. The lights of the living were in sharp contrast with the deadness of the street's darkened cold. This night was cloudy, so cloudy that no moonlight was getting though, which made the world seem even more sinister. The streetlights seemed to loom over Zim just that little bit more, like fingers waiting to strike down and grab him.

Zim quickly shook his head. He was determined not to have a hallucination right in the middle of the road. Especially on a night as dark and creepy as this one.

Just as he turned a corner to walk back into the ally where, hopefully, the Dr. was in, a fowl smelling human lunged out at him, grasping him by the shoulder. Zim recoiled in disgust as the filthy looking old thing slurred at him, its rancid breath washing over the Irken. "Havvesss yuzz gotss shome shange toosh spare?"

Zim roared at the dirty human and shoved him to the ground. "Get away from me, you filth."

Zim left the mumbling old man on the cold, icy ground and hurried on. How could something so pathetic even think of touching Zim? Had that old human no respect for his superiors?

Zim looked back in the direction of the rancid old man and saw that he seemed to have gone to sleep. Zim looked back to down the ice layered ally, his eyes searching for the Dr. who would give him the drug he needed to last though the night. The icy, slushy snow still crunched beneath his boots as he slowly walked down the ally, his eyes scanning left and right for any sign of the dealer.

"Hello again, ma brother," Zim grew a slow smile of relief, as the Dr stepped out of the night's cold, all swallowing shadow.

Zim walked over to him, but kept some distance from the hooded figure. Zim simply narrowed his eyes and said, "I need more."

Zim's veins were racing, his skin itching, screaming for the drug. He could almost see his eyes twitch at the though of more aswermitus, and he was now clenching and unclenching his shaking claws slowly.

The Dr. must have noticed this, as he smiled that sly, cold grin of his. The one someone makes when they know they've got a fish on a hook, or a dog on a leash, "Well of course you do, brother, and I have got some for ya, par usual. Of course, you know the price for this transaction. Have you still got da cash?"

Zim nodded eagerly, "Of course, stink beast, of course."

He reached inside his pack and fished around for some money, but he could find none. He began to panic, as his search for enough to pay for his fix began to look fruitless. In horror, he realised that he must have stormed out of his house so quickly that he had forgotten to get any money. He turned his body, shoving his arm in deeper to his PAK, but he could find nothing. Slowly he turned back to the dealer with a shocked and worried look on his face.

The hooded Dr. looked at him with annoyed, narrowed eyes, "Have you got da cash? If you ain't got da money, then I ain't sellin' you no drugs."

Zim began to panic as his body roared for more of the addictive substance it craved so much. He took a step towards the shadowed dealer, "Please, I need this. Please?"

At that moment Zim suddenly realised that he, an Irken invader, had just begged a human, the scum of the universe. By way of nature it should have been the other way around. Zim quickly shook off this odd thought.

The dealer suddenly turned cold, his friendliness vanishing, "I told you, homeboy, if you ain't got da money I ain't sellin you shit."

Suddenly Zim lunged forward, he really didn't know why. It seemed the call for a fix took over momentarily, forcing his body to try and attack the dealer. However, this was a stupid, uncalculated move, and the Dr had obviously seen it coming. The hooded human sidestepped the disguised Irken easily. Zim spun round, shocked at both the dealer's agility and his own action. His shocked face was met with a swift and powerful fist and Zim was sent reeling to the ground. It was times like this he was glad that he at least remembered to wash in paste in the morning so he wouldn't burn on contact with the icy pavement.

He was surprised at the way his body was so weak that he could hardly lift himself off the floor. He managed to get up onto his legs, but he had to lean heavily on the ice cold brick sides of the ally. He expected the Dr. to rush in with another shot at him, at least some violent reaction of some sort, but none came. He looked up with a pained but determined face to his once friendly dealer, and raised an antenna to the shocked and scared reaction on the shadowed face.

Wait, he raised his antenna? His hand shot to his head, but he couldn't feel the hair of the wig, only the smooth skin of his head and antenna. His eyes shot to the floor where, on a small iced puddle, lay his black wig.

He quickly turned back to the dealer, who seemed to be frozen with shock. Zim's mind raced, would he attack again? Would he run and expose the alien who was standing, weakened before him? Or maybe...just maybe...

Zim slowly grew a horrific, evil grin and painfully pulled himself to full height. The Dr was shaking in fear at the sight of Zim as the Irken walked forward, slowly at first, then rushing the Dr. and grabbing him by the neck of the hoody.

Zim, despite the pain shooting though his bandaged hand, shoved the dealer up against a wall, snarling in a craving fuelled by rage and anger, "Give me all the A's you have, now, or I will rip your brains out and eat them."

The dealer shoved his hand into his pocket and hurriedly drew out three vials and a needle. His voice shook with fear as he stammered, "S-s-sure, bro. Just don't d-d-do anything r-r-rash now..."

Zim grabbed the contents of the Dr.'s hand and let the shaking human drop to the floor. The dealer quickly picked himself up and fled from the ally, leaving a grinning Zim to look down hungrily at his hand. He had never tried three whole vials before. He greedily uploaded the needle with the contents of all the vials. He no longer cared that he was standing wigless in enemy territory, or that he was about to shoot up in a freezing cold ally full of who-knows-what. He no longer cared about anything anymore, only the dull mixture of colours in his packed syringe.

Zim took one last look about, then moved into a half shadow, leaning against an icy brick wall. He wiggled his arm from his coat and rolled up his sleeve with a shaking hand, then pressed the needle into the top of his arm and filled his veins with the contents. Slowly he withdrew the needle, dropping it to the floor, and closed his eyes. His hands clenched so tightly that he could feel his claws digging painfully into his palms and his teeth gritted so much that he thought they were going to shatter.

Then the drug sank in and a harrowed gasp of relief and pleasure whispered from his mouth. He could feel his whole body release itself from its animalistic craving for the drug and sink into a blissful, heavenly release. His hands relaxed as he slid down the wall, collapsing into a drug induced euphoria. However, this was not like all the other times, he saw no world of colour and warmth, no fantastical creatures and no bunny girl to guide him through them.

Instead, he opened his eyes and he felt normal. In fact, he felt far more normal then he had for the past two weeks. He got up and looked around, everything looked normal. He turned back to the wall and jumped back in shock. There, lying on the ground, was him. He was actually looking down at himself. He looked around again, confused. Was this what happened when he took more then the usual amount? Zim crouched down and went to get a closer look at himself. He felt almost worried at the way he looked, lying there as if he was sleeping, slumped up against the cold, dirty brick wall.

He looked into the pale green and bruising face, the shadowy, ill looking eyes and that painfully thin frame. He decided that he didn't like this worn out, beaten up looking Zim. He scowled and went to shake himself. He grasped his own shoulders and tried to shake, but it felt like he was trying to shake a fifteen story building. He couldn't move the sleeping Zim an inch, no, less then that, not even a nano-inch. He pushed all his weight onto him, but he didn't make any effect. Literally it was like he wasn't even touching him, he couldn't even cause a single movement on his clothes. Even more strange was that he couldn't feel anything around him. Not the cold air, not the fabric of the Irken coat, nothing.

Zim looked around the slumped body and saw the needle lying on the floor. He bent down to pick it up, enjoying the refreshing and freeing feeling of his body not crying out for the drug. However, like the body, Zim couldn't move the needle at all, it was as if it weighed more then the Massive. His claws grasped round it as much as they could but still no effect could be made on the needle.

Zim looked at the body of himself, clearly confused, "Zim on the…floor? I command you...I mean me...AGG, whatever, just wake up. NOW!"

However, his body simply lay there, unmoving, totally oblivious to the Zim that was shouting down at him.

"Zim, Zim, Zim, where...oh my God."

Zim looked around, shocked at the familiar voice that shot through the night air.

"Dib." Zim watched as the teenage boy, wrapped tightly with a black and white striped scarf and, as par usual, his sky blue arm warmers, stood looking at the Zim lying on the floor.

Zim looked from his body, to the shocked and almost scared looking Dib, before growling dangerously at him, "Dib...what are you doing here?"

However, Dib seemed to ignore Zim and rush over to the sleeping body. At first he just stared at it, and then he fell on his knees and shook him, at first softly, then more violently, "ZIM! ZIM WAKE UP!"

The sleeping Zim didn't make a sound, didn't move a muscle, but at least Dib seemed to be able to actually move him. Zim walked over and looked over the boy's shoulder, slightly angry and slightly confused at this odd situation.

Then Dib spotted the needle next to Zim's collapsed form. For a moment he just looked at it, like it was the only thing in the world. Then he reached a shaking hand towards it and picked it off of the floor, careful to avoid the metal tip. He held it up, examining the contents with a stoic face, before placing it back down and turning to look at the sleeping Zim's face.

"Good God, Zim...what have you done?" Zim stood back, a terrible feeling of shame flooding into him. He didn't know what to say, or what to do and, in one of those very rare moments for him, he was speechless. How was he going to explain this to the human? He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the boy kneeling down next to him began speaking before he could.

"Shiiitt...Zim, Zim, can you hear me?" Dib held the sleeping Zim's face in his hands, and stared into the closed eyes with a cold determined anger.

The standing Zim suddenly re-gained his attitude and gave Dib an angry, confused look, "Of course I can hear you, you stupid stink beast. I'm right here."

This, however seemed to fly over the teenage boy's head, as he continued searching the sleeping Zim's face for any sighs of life. Dib began to panic and he slapped the collapsed Zim across his pale green cheek, but this yielded no reaction.

Well, from the Zim on the floor it didn't, the Zim standing behind him was exploding with rage, "HOW DARE YOU SLAP ME!"

However, Dib seemingly ignoring Zim's screeching slapped the Zim in his hands twice more in succession, each time his expression getting more desperate.

Suddenly, Zim noticed something; he hadn't seen his sleeping self move at all. He hadn't seen any tell tale signs of breath coming from his mouth in the cold winter air. In fact, since his body had been lying there it hadn't done anything...almost like it was...

"No..." Zim gasped, as shock and horror of this revelation rushed though him, "No...But, but I'm here and...I'm there..."

Dib placed a hand across the apparently sleeping Zim's mouth but slowly withdrew it, muttering weekly, "Oh no..." He then, hesitating for a second, placed two fingers on the Irkens neck.

Zim started shaking and he fell against the wall as he tried to gather some ground, his legs felt weak and he was breathing in gulps, "I'm dead."

It made sense on how he was feeling so normal, or how he couldn't see his own breath, or how the freezing cold of the night didn't bother him any more. He clenched his hands and let his head fall onto his chest.

However Dib almost jumped with joy, causing Zim to look up, "Zim's still alive! But if he stays here, he's gonna freeze to death, I can't take him back to mine like this and the hospital's out of the question..."

Standing behind him the Zim-sprit rolled his eyes, "Then take me to my base, you idiot!"

Dib eyes widened with a good idea. "I'll take him back to his base!"

Dib suddenly began picking the body of Zim off the floor, clearly struggling at the dead weight. He lifted the Irken to his feet and grabbed one of his arms and threw it across his shoulder. He then lifted Zim's body by putting one hand under him, and began to drag the Irken down the ally and back to his base. All the time the disembodied Zim following, part of him ashamed that Dib was saving his life, but most of him still annoyed that the human had slapped him.

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I'm not entirely sure if I like the way this came out, I needed a way for Zim to see Dib come to his rescue (which is gonna be explained next chapter) but I also needed him to OD like that...bah, out of body experience it is then. This took me an awful long time to write, not because of writers block, more because I was so busy with other things.

R&R please or the puppy gets it.


	8. Rude Awakening

Invader Sideos orders form his death bed: Yes folks its official. It seems my stomach and the bottle machine at collage has formed some unholy alliance to torment me to my bitter and bloody end. I think my bellys annoyed because I wanted to replace it with a washing machine...Ahh well. (Eats muffin kindly given by Invader Spyder)

Oh, and in case I haven't made/posted this by the time this chapter appears, for those who are fans/like/can barely tolerate my OC Sideos, I have finished perfecting his past, present and future. Everything is ready and planned for him and for his future endeavours...as well as a few past endeavours that are in urgent need of showing...I also finished a drawing of him in manga style and to be honest his smile is creeping me out.

WARNING! Again another chapter of stuff that is bad and makes children cry. If you're prone to...razor blades then don't read! (Actually read anyway, I care little for your personal hell.)

Written to...Reel Big Fish - Take on Me cover (I dunno its Ska ok) and lots of Velvet Revolver and Guns and Roses.

I don't own Zim, Dib, the show, a show, a car, a motorbike, a small European villa, wait I'm rambling again...

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The door of Zim's house flew open in a flurry of snow as Dib, carrying an unconscious but close to death Zim, slugged his way into the house. Gir was sitting on the couch obediently watching the scary monkey show, however when he saw his master being dragged by a very tired and cold looking Dib he sprung into duty mode. Dib ignored this and slammed the door shut with the kick of a foot.

The little robot jumped off the couch turning red and landed perfectly in front of the struggling teenager, "Stop, you have hurt my master. I must now DESTOY you!"

Dib rolled his eyes, even when several large looking weapons came out from Gir's head, "Gir, come on, Zim's really ill. If you don't help he's gonna die."

Gir switched back to his cyan mode, the weapons disappearing into his head and in an unusually worried way said, "Master gonna die? That don't sound too good."

Dib growled slightly, but more because of the cold, dead weight of Zim then Gir saying stupid things, "Look, just help me get him onto the couch, ok?"

Gir immediately grinned, "Oooky DOKY!" And with an inhuman strength he grabbed Zim from Dib and held him up over his head before dropping him onto the couch.

He then spun back to face an amazed looking Dib, who was still standing with his arms held from where he had been carrying Zim, "Did I do good? Good like a TURKEY!"

Dib blinked and let his hands fall to his sides in a defeated but relived way, "Yes, Gir, good like a turkey."

All the time this was happening, the disembodied form of Zim watched, almost mortified, from the arm of the couch. He held his head in one hand and groaned at the antics of Gir, "MUST you be constantly embarrassing me, Gir?" He knew the robot couldn't hear him, but he still couldn't help himself.

He glanced down at his unconscious, barely alive form lying on the couch and felt the odd feeling of sadness. He didn't look very healthy, or very mighty, or any of the things he felt while taking the drug. In fact, looking down on himself, he looked just the opposite, ill, weak and pathetic looking. Was the drug really doing that to him? But it felt so good to use, it made him feel so powerful and happy. Nothing else had ever given him such a lift. Not even destruction had delivered such joy. It was close, but not quite the same as aswermitus.

He turned his attention back to Dib, who was trying to talk Gir into getting some medical supplies, causing Zim to cast a sneering grin at the boy's constantly failing attempts.

"Ok, Gir," Dib started for the fifth time, "I need you."

"ME!" Gir shouted, interrupting Dib and causing another large chunk of his patience to slip away.

He visibly clenched his hands and teeth before continuing, "Yes you, I need you to go get something to wake Zim up. NOW!"

Gir looked to have calmed down and glanced from Zim to Dib. Then he grinned slowly and whispered, "Do you know what I think you needs?" Dib stood back, not sure how to reply. However, before he could Gir jumped and shouted, "Beanie BABIES!"

Dib growled, but amazingly managed to keep his cool, "No, Gir, we need something to wake Zim up before he dies."

However, Gir seemed to have become momentarily obsessed with beanie babies and was diving into a large pile of them stacked in the corner of the room. Dib sighed and looked up, holding his hands as if he was receiving a tray of something, "Please, will something in this base help me save my friend's life?"

Zim, who was still sitting on the couch arm, raised an antenna in curiosity. The Dib boy really considered Zim to be a friend? He had an odd sense of pride, of course Dib thought as Zim as a friend. After all, he was Zim. But then again, Zim had never thought of Dib as a friend. He had never really considered anyone to be his friend. Even Skoodge had always just been classed as an assistant or minion, and the Tallest were his leaders or were his ex-leaders as the case may be.

Zim wanted to say something, anything to take away the deathly silence that had descended on the room, but he knew that he could not be heard so he was extremely glad when the computer spoke up.

"Err...it seems like Zim is dying," Dib jumped, he hadn't actually expected anyone to really answer.

It was good he couldn't see the disembodied Zim almost fall off the couch arm in laughter, or he would have never have composed himself fast enough.

Dib looked up to the ceiling and shouted, "Who's that?"

The house creaked in an almost eerie way as it calmly answered, "I'm the house."

Dib raised a finger to make a point, but seemed to decide against it. A small moment passed until Dib looked around in an impatient manner and said, "Well, aren't you going to help him?"

The house sighed, "I suppose."

A metallic tendril quickly came down from the ceiling carrying a small triangular object. It stopped just in front of Dib who, after giving the object a curious check, took it from the tendril and walked over to the body of Zim.

He looked up again at the ceiling, "Ok, what do I do with this?"

The house creaked again in an almost annoyed way, "You just put in above his heart, the shock will re-awaken him."

Dib nodded, and nervously ran a gloved hand though his scythe-like hair. Slowly he placed the triangle flat on Zim's chest, stood back and waited. For a moment there was nothing, even the disembodied form of Zim watched with interest from his seat on the couch. Then, suddenly, arks of electricity seemed to explode from the triangle, almost lifting the body of Zim off the couch and causing Dib to move back and shield his eyes.

The disembodied form of Zim felt like he was being sucked into some sort of wormhole. He felt himself being dragged towards the triangle, then suddenly he fell into his body. Dib watched as Zim's eyes snapped open and his screeching scream of pain filled the room. The shocks died off, leaving a heavily panting and slightly panicking Zim on the couch. His body still shook with the shock of his rude awakening, even as his eyes darted round the room. He was holding onto the couch like it was a life boat, his claws digging into the already wrecked material.

Dib slowly approached the shocked up Irken, holding out his hands in a protective manner, "Zim...Zim are you ok?"

Zim's eyes snapped to Dib, glaring at him with a burning intensity of anger, "What do you think, stink-beast?"

Dib smiled, "I'll take that as a yes."

Zim gave Dib another glare, before taking some large breaths and sitting upright on the couch, holding his head between his hands. Dib held back for a moment, before sitting down next to him. However, he made sure to give Zim some space as the Irken took off his contacts and gathered himself.

Zim tried to remember what had happened between the ally and the house, flashes of Dib walking down a cold street dragging Zim came to his mind, but they were quickly fading untilhe could no longer recall anything from the alleyway hit onwards.

For a while that was it, the only sound was Gir dancing into the kitchen with a piggy beanie baby in the background. The cold wind of the winter outside seemed to die, and outside though the boarded up windows it began to snow softly. Some weak lines of moonlight came though the cracks in the boards, casting some odd white squares on the floor of the room.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, Dib calmly said, "I never took you for a junkie, Zim."

Zim darted a glance of hate at the teenage boy from between his claws, "Shut up, Dib."

Dib, however continued in the same monotone way, "It explains everything though, the weight loss, your skin...everything."

Zim let his hands fall onto the couch and said more irritably, "Shut up, Dib."

Dib's eyes shone with anger, and almost pity, "Why, Zim? Why did you do it? Why didn't you tell me?"

Zim sneered cruelly at him, "Because it was none of your concern."

Dib finally lost his cool exterior and slammed a fist into the space between himself and Zim on the couch, "WHAT! You were out killing yourself and you thought I would just stand back and watch? I asked you if anything was up and you openly lied to me!"

Zim stood up from the couch and stood with his back to Dib, a scowl growing on his face, "So? You wouldn't have cared anyway. I'm the one trying to destroy you all, remember?"

Dib slumped back onto the couch, crossed his arms and said in an amused way, "You haven't tried to destroy earth in almost four years, Zim, so don't give me that one."

Another moment passed with either boy not willing to say anything. This time it was Zim who broke the silence, his voice tinged with an unusual calm, but also with a casual annoyance, "Why did you come looking for me?"

From behind him Dib narrowed his eyes, "What?"

Zim turned around, but he didn't look at Dib, rather he let his eyes examine the slivery squares on the floor left by the wintry moonlight, "Why did you come looking for me?"

Dib sighed and also let his eyes fall on the floor, "Because I knew something was wrong and I was worried."

Zim's eyes twitched, "Worried? About Zim?"

Dib looked up to Zim, "Yeah, I was worried that something was really wrong with you. You looked like you were going to collapse any minute at Hi-Skool, and you still do," He added with a short laugh.

Zim scowled again, "I don't need your pity, Dib. I have everything under control, nothing is wrong."

Dib suddenly looked rather angry and he narrowed his eyes, but he still didn't move off the couch, "Zim, you almost died tonight. If I hadn't seen that guy run out of that ally shouting stuff about aliens then God knows what could have happened to you. You're addicted, aren't you?"

Zim felt a creepily familiar itch develop on his arm, but he managed to force himself not to show it, "No, of course not."

Dib narrowed his eyes more and slowly rubbed his arm, "No, Zim, I can tell when someone's addicted to something."

Zim snapped back angrily, finally looking at Dib as he did, "Fine, so I'm addicted. Not like you would know. You have no idea what it's like."

Dib leaned back and looked at Zim darkly, a sinister sort of knowledge creeping into his voice, "Oh you don't think I know? To know what it's like for your body to constantly be calling out for a release? To be counting down the seconds until you can go and get that fix?" He leaned forward, linking his fingers, "To have your skin itch?"

Zim was shocked at Dib's knowledge of what he was feeling and that dark glint in his eye told Zim that whatever it was, it was deeply personal.

Zim leaned against the wall of his house, folding his arms and crossing his legs at the ankles while he looked into Dib's eyes. Coldly, slowlyand quietly he inquired, "How do you know this?"

For a moment the world slowed down and melted away, all that was left was the room Dib and Zim were in.

"Because," Dib said slowly and sadly, "I've been there before."

And with those words he slowly draw back his right sleeve showing the sky blue arm warmer underneath, then he began to pull the arm warmer off and Zim's eyes widened in surprise. There, along Dibs arm, were a mass of short pink scars, stretching from his wrist all the way to his elbow.

Dib looked up at Zim's still shocked face, "You wanted to know why I wore the arm warmers, well this is why."

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Woo, cutting it off here (No pun intended...Giggle giggle). So Dibs been being Emo (no offence to ex-cutters) and the arm warmers have been explained! (Actually if you watch the IZ episode 'Dibs wonderful life of doom' you see he wears blue armwarmers...I kinda just copied and cashed in on it.) I know the whole 'cutting' thing is deader then...something dead but just bare with me. I can make it work, I hope.

Next chapter is called 'Ice Cubes'...you know that when I name a chapter before I post it, it's gonna be special. Its gonna have a angsty Dib, a bastard of a Zim and general Ooc ranting. Well, hopefully not that Ooc...

R&R please! It keeps them from beating me!


	9. Ice Cubes

There, in the clouds, written by Invader Sideos: I found a pair of shades that make me look like Ozzy! Or Lennon depending on if I washed my hair or not. I should be revising for more A-Levels after this week...but I'm not. Yep.

Warning again! Another chapter of very, very bad awful cutting descriptions of cutting.

I did do research for this you know, looked into the reasons people do stuff like that and everything however the idea in this, Dibs 'cure', actually came from a radio advert. For me it was just a moment of pure 'Oh...my...God...I am so using that' kinda thing, especially when it was at 8:00 in the morning and I was still lying in my bed at the time. Seriously though if you're prone to cutting yourself don't read, even for me writing about it makes me feel ill-ish and cringe every few seconds. I've never ever done 'it' before though but that's not to say the idea hasn't...intrigued me. Not because I was feeling so sad or angst or whatever, more just to see what it would be like. Curiosity killed the cat though...and I hate pain, and the idea of my veins bleeding makes me cringe. I suppose it's just plain cowardice at the end of the day but still, it stops me. I know many people who have cut themselves, mostly girls but one guy I know has several cuts along his arm, when questioned he said "It was fun for a while." This person also get drunk regularly (see-everyday), is on meds, lives on benefits and has plan's to have "real blood spurting" in his band, which I'm doing a gangsta-ska-rap solo for. On the day I gave him a JTHM comic he told me his counceller has told him he's psychotic, I'm cultivating a maniac.

Written to...ohh stuff. G.G Allin - Bite it You Scum, Happy Mondays - Step On and various other songs that have caught my interest. Most oddly Junior Senior - Move your Feet.

I don't own Zim...damm. It's probably for the best though.

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Zim stared down at Dib's right arm, the little scars so bright pink and different in colour to the rest of the boys pale skin. He could almost feel the cold, emotionless stare that Dib was giving him. The world seemed to stand still right there, it had even stopped snowing outside, which made everything settle with an almost unnatural stillness. Gir had long since run off to cause mischief elsewhere, leaving the human and the Irken alone in the dark, but warm, front room. The clock in the kitchen struck half past one in the morning and outside the hoot of an owl echoed thought the cold winters night.

However, all this was oblivious to Zim who just narrowed his eyes at Dib, finally shifting his gaze from the boy's arm as the teen pulled the arm warmer back on and let his trench coat sleeve fall over it, making it seem like he was only wearing sky blue gloves.

From his position leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed tightly and one foot lying across the other in the gap between the TV and a wrecked shelf Zim quietly asked, "What does that mean?"

Dib furrowed his brow in annoyance, but soon lost the expression and sighed, "It means that I had a big problem a few years ago, just like you do now."

Zim sneered, despite the seriousness of the situation, "What happened, get attacked by a cat?"

Dib closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, "No, Zim, much worse then that," He looked back to the Irken with eyes colder then the ice outside, "Those scars are self inflicted. I cut myself, Zim. That was what was wrong with me."

Zim raised an antenna, why would the human ever bother harming himself? He could have asked Zim to attack him anytime he wanted.

Dib must have seen the look on Zim's face, because he rolled his eyes and leaned back and stretched his legs out, "FINE, I might as well explain it all, shall I? It stared some time back, about three years ago to be precise. God, I was so screwed up back then, everything seemed so horrible. I mean, me and you had stopped our fighting and my life seemed to have come to a halt, you know? I never really realised how much time I had donated to watching you. Creepy, huh?"

Zim had to nod. Dib was defiantly more creepy back then.

Dib didn't wait for Zim to verbally comment, he just carried on regardless, "Well, that was it for me, I was lost. I felt so...empty. My life was full of crap. Gaz hated me, Dad was never there and I never had anyone to talk to. That was what was probably the worst about it. I couldn't talk to anyone about it, about how I felt inside, or what I didn't feel inside. Nothing meant anything anymore. Even my paranormal studies seemed to have grown stale and lost all the excitement. Maybe it was because you weren't trying to destroy the earth or something, who knows. Maybe it was because no one believed me and my 'crazy' theories. Either way it just made my life seem to suck even more. Every day would drag on the same, over and over again. At least when we were fighting there would be something different each day but now it was just so...horrible, unbearable. Then one day, as per usual, I was washing away the dishes, since no one else in my house bothers to do so and I cut my finger on a blade in the water. At first I was panicking, but then I watched as the blood fell down my finger and...I dunno, it just felt so good. Looking at my finger it made me feel...something again, something inside, it made me feel alive."

Dib leaned forward again placing his elbows on his knees and his mouth onto his now clasped hands and did some sort of sigh-chuckle, "Damm, how stupid of me to think like that. If I had known what would come..."

He sighed again and moved back onto the subject, "Well, after that I took a surgical knife from my Dad's lab and it just became like...normal. I would come home from Hi-Skool feeling like nothing was worth anything then go into my room and use that knife to feel alive again. Seeing my blood seep across my wrist was just so uplifting, so nice. It quickly became my new hobby. I would barely get through the day without using that knife. It was always the same one as well and around the same time. It became like some sort of little ritual. Apparently, in cases like mine, it's not too uncommon."

Zim quietly interrupted, "Did the Gaz sister not notice this?"

Dib shook his head, "Nope, she was much too busy destroying computerised enemies to notice her brother cutting his arms apart."

Zim cocked his head slightly in curiosity, "What about the Dib father?"

Dib just laughed harshly and stated quickly, "Working too much to."

There was another long silence, almost broken by the subtle sound of Gir breaking something deep down in the depths of the lab, but Zim only cast an annoyed glance in the direction of the noise before turning back to look at the sliver squares on the floor, "So what else happened?"

Dib got up and walked to the boarded up widows, placing one hand between a crack in the wooden boards and looking out onto the snow white world.

Zim's eyes followed him, and after a few moments of impatient silence he voiced his annoyance in a short, "Well?"

Dib stood looking out a moment longer before turning round and looking down, away from Zim's hardened stare, "It was a good few months into the...habit. I had started cutting deeper and deeper, spilling more blood each time. It was beginning to take its toll on me, I could barely move my cutting arm sometimes and there were points were Gaz almost found out because so many of my shirts had blood all down the sleeves. I was thinking of taking my knife into Hi-Skool with me and I had almost begun using my other arm. Then, it just happened."

Zim's eyes quickly narrowed, "What happened?"

Dib walked back to the couch, but this time he sat on the couch's filthy arm. When he looked at Zim his eyes portrayed a hint of sadness and even embarrassment, "Gaz found out. Apparently she had suspected for some time, what with my sharp increase in security and lack of ranting about the paranormal. She had just never really paid too much attention to it. She said she had been raiding my room because she thought that I had stolen one of her games when she found the knife."

Zim had to suppress a sneering grin, "I suppose she wrathed you?"

Zim must have done a bad job at hiding his grin, as Dib narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Actually, she didn't. Well, in a sense she didn't. I walked in from Hi-Skool and she dragged me into the kitchen and slammed the knife down on the table. I kinda just told her everything, showed her my arms and how I felt. Then she just stormed over to the phone, arranged an appointment with a psychiatrist and went back to her games. Looking back, it's kinda nice she did that, even if it was only because she demanded that everything went back to normal or the 'rightful order' as she put it."

The teenager grabbed his knees and lent back with a deep breath, "Well, I went and it was good. I finally had someone listening to me, even if it was costing a thousand dollars an hour. But hey, I'm the son of the great professor Membrane, so that weren't much of a problem. They offered me anti-depressants, but there was no way I was taking any drugs. I've heard those things can mess you up more then the original addiction. So they offered me ice cubes."

Zim raised an antenna in amused confusion and added, rather disbelievingly, "Ice cubes?"

Dib had to smile at the oddness of it, "Yep, ice cubes. Whenever you get the feeling to reach for that knife, you just take an ice cube and hold it in your fist. Ha, it's amazing how something as stupid as an ice cube can give the same feeling as a knife. A few months after that and I didn't even need the ice cube anymore."

Dib looked straight at Zim now, with a look that drew together every part of the teen's struggle, all the anger and pity and sadness that he had suffered. It was so powerful that even Zim felt himself lean back into the wall, away from that look.

"These scars," He stated, "Will never truly go away, Zim, but you have a chance now, before you can't turn back. Give up the drug."

Zim looked away and pushed himself off the wall. He ran a claw across his head, momentarily flattening his antenna. He immediately felt a chill run across his skin, along his arms and to the nape of his neck. He could go for a few hours now and not feel any strong urges to get some more A, but he wasn't sure what he could do after that. He had tried once to reverse engineer the drug so he could gain unlimited supplies, but his concentration was so shot and the call for an instant fix so strong that he didn't get very far before giving up on the project. And what made it worse was that now his only source of the drug had gone. He could scour the city for hours looking some another seller, but the Dr. had said that it was very rare.

But then again, it was so wonderful, a small voice in the back of his mind was telling him. Why should he give it up? So he had one little mishap, so what? He'd just be more careful next time. And what did Dib know? So he once liked to cut himself to get though a day because he was too depressed to face reality, Zim was an Irken solider and therefore far more superior. It wasn't like he was really being forced to stop, it was his life and he would choose what to do with it. And if it happened to include taking drugs then so be it. He was Zim and nobody told Zim what to do, especially not some pathetic human.

It was decided then, screw the human and his sob story. All Zim needed was to be left alone with his drug. He would quit when he wanted to and not a moment before. As for now he just needed to get rid of Dib and begin a hunt for a new source.

He went into acting mode and turned around, making sure to look like he had accepted his fate, "It looks like I've got no choice, really. I'll give up the drug."

Dib smiled gratefully and got up, all the time Zim wondering how the boy had never stopped being so childishly naive.

He began walking to the kitchen, much to the annoyed confusion of Zim, who held out an arm to stop him, "Where do you think you're going?"

Dib softly pushed Zim's arm down and shook his head while smiling again, "You really think I would leave you alone with the opportunity to walk out and find more of that stuff? I'm not an idiot, Zim. I'm staying here tonight and keeping a close eye on you."

Zim followed Dib into the kitchen, giving the back of his big head a glare that could melt iron. Once there Zim took a seat, his mind rushing about trying to come up with a way to distract, or remove Dib long enough for him to get some money and go. He knew he had some time. Right now he wasn't feeling that bad, so he knew he might be able to simply wait until the boy grew too tired to stay awake. Then Zim could get out and find a new dealer and hopefully get back before Dib knew what had happened. It wasn't like he needed a fix right now. He just needed to know where he could get one for later.

Zim looked up from the table to see that Dib was busy inspecting a half empty jar of coffee, another one of those rare edible earth substances. His back was to Zim, so he didn't see the sly and malicious smile grow on the Irken's face as the teen began to make the pair of them a drink.

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WOOOO! I finally got this chapter done. So, who expected Zim to actually try to give up the drug? (Puts hand up) Yep, in the original plan, as I mentioned before, this was meant to begin the ending of this fic, however after re-watching Trainspotting (an AMAZING film) I have decided to go full out on Zim's addiction, really dig his claws into the whole thing. So, expect drug dens people, oh what drug dens there will be...

Another note: Yes I realise this fic has ENORMOUS potential to become a ZADR at the click of a finger. Only when I typed "I'm staying here tonight" did really realise how ZADR-ish this really is. However I must say it's more on the Dib side of things then Zim, who needs love when you've got a faithful, loyal drug habit? (The words of the main character from Trainspotting.)

Last note: Ok I do know that the whole 'Dib is a cutter' thing is really been done to death and beyond but I needed something to make him have an addiction of his own and I couldn't see him drinking a bottle of vodka a night (Or does he?...) or doing lines of coke. There's something about Dib and cutting that kinda fits well, and anyway, he recovered and is better for it. And anyway it's not really going to be mentioned again, or very little.

Anyone else think it's mighty cruel of Zim to call it a 'Sob story'? I think so, but I still love that choice of words as well as his whole 'I don't give a rats ass' attitude in this chapter. Zim is a cruel bastard anyway.

R&R people. Go on, indulge your reviewing urges.


	10. Waffles and Walks

The statue of Invader Sideos stands, its shadow casting over all people, awing them into silence. Over-head a plane spells out: Ok this fics official band is Iggy and the Stooges. Iggy rules all, hail Iggy Pop. I think its time I began telling the other side of this little addiction, the side that's not all about depression and sadness and all that. "What they forget, is the pleasure of it" - Renton in Trainspotting.

P.S. Before I begin, I couldn't help myself.

Written to Underworld - Born Slippy (Larger, larger, larger, larger SHOUTIN!) and Iggy and the Stooges and the sound of 12:40 am silence.

I don't own Zim... Insert sarcastic 'yay' here

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"The imperial police say that Sideos can be caught soon, and that they are closing in on his position," the Irken news caster read off the latest news from across the Irken Empire in that none caring tone those newscasters so often have. It was about eight o'clock in the morning and Zim was sitting, coat wrapped around him to try and stop the cold shivers, on the worn and beaten couch next to an amazed looking Dib, who was watching the news with rapt interest. Zim rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at Dib. The boy was acting like he had never seen an Irken news report before.

Beyond the walls of the housethe sound of the world waking up could be heard, people shovelling their driveways, children playing and frolicking in the snow, birds singing and chirping in the cold, crisp air. To anyone who didn't hate the planet it would have been seen to be quite picturesque, a perfect mid-December morning.

Outside Zim's house the lawn gnomes were coated with snow, making the lawn look like it had a small array of creepy looking snowmen guarding it. The house itself was also sparkling with pure snow, which masked the general decrepit state inside.

The light streamed in from the cracks in the boards on Zim's windows, helping to illuminate the dim room and causing the small pile of needles and empty vials in the corner to wink and sparkle in the morning sun.

Much to Zim's annoyance and surprise, Dib had stayed awake all night explaining that his younger days of constant Zim watching had caused him to wreck his sleep patterns which was why he would sometimes fall asleep in class, something about Mr. Root's voice just helped bore him into slumber.

This had of course angered Zim to no end, but seeing as though he couldn't blow his wanting-to-quit illusion he had been forced to put up and accept it. Dib had also attempted to tidy up, something that Zim actually didn't mind, as he had been tired of walking over needles and glass anyway. Most of the night had been spent sitting talking about old times while watching the late night b-movie channel. Zim had seen most of the movies on there several times before. After all, while Dib found it hard to sleep Zim never needed to and so had grown accustomed to sitting and watching these movies, usually with Gir at his side. Amazingly, they had argued very little. Zim supposed that the revelation Dib had told him had made the boy think that they had a new kind of friendship now, one with little fighting. Zim didn't care, as the slight but growing feeling of nausea in his squeedlyspooch had put him off of arguing anyway.

Right now the two boys were watching the Irken imperial news, something that Dib was fascinated by.

"The planet he was last sighted on, Mookintia, has been surrounded with extra security and the police are monitoring all ships leaving and entering the planet. The criminally insane Irken, famed for his disturbing murders and often miraculous escapes, will surly be caught this time and brought to justice."

Dib turned off the TV and sat back, still looking amazed, "Wow, I can't believe they still have psychos in your society. It's crazy."

Suddenly he grinned and looked at Zim, "Hey, get it, crazy?" He laughed loudly, but his laugher quickly died off when Zim didn't join in. "Zim, don't you...oh right."

Zim just glared at him from where his head was buried within his coat. He had drawn his legs up to his chest and was hugging them tightly, trying to ignore the ice cold sweat on his arms and back and the numbness that had crept into his legs. He was also quietly thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have the usual sensation of under his skin itching to cope with.

Slowly the smell of baking came from the direction of the kitchen, causing Zim to suddenly feel like he was going to throw up. He cringed as his squeedlyspooch reacted negatively to the sickly sweet smell of waffles.

Dib watched as he saw Zim shut his eyes tightly and shiver. A small look of quiet concern flickered across his face, "Hey, Zim." He spoke calmly and softly. "Do you think you can eat anything? Gir's making waffles and I really think you should eat something."

"No," came the muffled reply. "I'll try some later."

Dib sat so he was facing Zim, but he made sure to keep his space, "Come on, Zim, you gotta eat something. You don't want Gir screaming at you, do you?"

This made Zim change his mind. He couldn't do with a screaming Gir, especially like this or later on when he knew it would be worse. "Fine, but just one...a small one."

Dib gave a one sided smile. "Good, come on."

He stood up, but made sure to wait until Zim was slowly walking into the kitchen before he followed him, he had hardly let the Irken out of his sight all night, something that also annoyed Zim to no end. However, he never expected escaping Dib to be easy.

Zim took a seat at his table and again wrapped his coat around himself and held on to his shoulders while Gir, who was wearing a chef's hat and an apron along with his dog suit, dealt out a large plate of steaming waffles. Zim felt his squeedlyspooch flip at the sight of them. The very smell of food was just making him feel worse and when Gir placed some down in front of Dib, who began eating away happily, he could have easily thrown up on the table. Instead, Zim gingerly picked up a fork and managed to get a few, pathetically small, bits of waffle down him before declaring that he couldn't eat any more or he would be sick.

"Oh come on, Zim," Dib started, waving the end of his fork at him. "I know you're not feeling well but you're not even trying."

Zim gave a short lived sneer, while bringing his legs up to the table so he could hug his arms around his knees. The pressure of his legs on his squeedlyspooch eased the sickness slightly.

"I mean," Dib said, while shoving another piece of waffle in his mouth. "You'll never get through Skool if you don't get anything to eat."

Zim closed his eyes and growled, letting his head loll back slightly on the chair. He had forgotten all about Hi-Skool. "I'm not going in, screw the truancy police. I'll just stay here and conserve my mighty Zim energy."

Dib suddenly look worried. "Hey, you know as well as I do what those truancy police can do to you. Remember what happened to Poonchy in ninth grade?"

Both of the two boys shuddered in fear at the memory.

Dib looked back at Zim, still waving his fork at him, "Anyway, it's Friday, only today then it's the Christmas holidays, four weeks to recover in. You can even come and spend them at my house if you want so you won't be alone this year."

Zim buried his face in his arms, both at the goose bumps that just ran along them and to hide the surprise on his face. Dib really must think their supposed friendship had advanced if he was actually offering Zim to spend Christmas with him.

He looked up once he had managed to get rid of his shock, "Err...that's great, Dib but I'd rather stay here. I've got Gir and such..."

Dib shrugged. "Bring him with you." And he placed another mouthful of waffle in his mouth.

Zim really didn't feel like having this extremely odd conversation right now, so he began to stand up out of his chair. "Come on, let's go or we're gonna be late." Zim walked over to a small machine in the corner and ordered up his contacts and a new wig before walking out the kitchen and towards the front door, stopping just in front waiting for Dib.

Dib looked up to the clock, then sighed and stood up, following Zim out the door as Gir happily waved them on, still wearing the chef hat.

---

The two boys walked side-by-side towards their Hi-Skool, their foot steps in the snow betraying the rout they had taken. The snow and frost covered world gleamed in the winter sun making everything seem clean and white. The pavement was in the usual state that one would find on a winters day, the middle fairly empty of snow and the sides dotted where small children had taken the opportunity to make an imprint with their feet.

Zim wondered why earth children did such a thing, a curiosity of human smeets. Irken smeets would never try something so silly. They would be underground on the education plugs learning about important things, not running around in the freezing cold snow.

Dib had been oddly silent on the walk up, but then again, the last 24 hours hadn't really been that normal to start with. Zim really didn't care much. He had been concentrating more on making the shivers and numbness go away, along with resisting the urge to scratch his skin. Right now the itch was running along the tops of his palms and up to the elbow of his arm, so in order to combat this he had crossed his arms across himself and placed his hands under his arm pits.

Dib suddenly spoke, causing Zim to jump slightly and a cloud of breath to escape his mouth, "I wonder where Gaz is? We should have seen her walk up by now."

Zim half turned to look at the human, "Did you even tell her that you were at my base all night?"

Dib now looked worried, like one does when one makes a very big mistake on a test. "Oh err...no."

Zim couldn't help but grin nastily, "Then won't she be rather wrathful today?"

Dib's expression changed to look thoughtful. "Humm, I'm not sure. On one hand she will be pissed off because I didn't tell her where I was all night, thus annoying Dad, thus annoying her. But on the other hand she may not care because she could have assumed I would end up at yours anyway. But then again..."

Dib began to trawl off to himself, while Zim pulled the collar on his coat up more and gave in to the itch on his hands, immediately regretting it as it only grew stronger. He half sighed half growled, at least the nausea had died off for the time being.

Dib must have noticed the look on Zim's face, as he stopped chattering to himself and narrowed his eyes slightly at the Irken. "You feeling any better?"

Zim didn't bother looking at the boy. "Not really. Very itchy arms and cold sweats, not very nice in general."

Dib nodded and mumbled. "Right then..."

There was hardly any more talking until the two reached the Hi-Skool gates, where they were pleasantly surprised to see the doors closed and a large notice on the gates reading 'Hi Skool closed due to snow and generator failure. Have a horrible holiday.'

Dib held his fist up above his head and cheered. Zim growled. He had walked all the way here for nothing and while having withdrawal effects.

Damm that human. He would now have to spend the day with Dib following him around making sure he wouldn't be able to find any A.

However, luck, in a sense of the word, smiled on Zim.

"DIB!"

The human boy suddenly froze from his cheering, to afraid to turn and face the being behind the voice. Zim however, grinned evilly and turned to see a fuming Gaz. Her own trench coat flew out behind her as she stormed over to the frozen teen and, grabbing his shoulder, she spun him round so fast he fell on the floor landing in the snow with a heavy thump.

She opened her eyes just enough so that Dib could see the dark and powerful anger that resided in them. "Where did you go last night? Do you know how much Dad moaned at me for not knowing where you where? AND it was your turn to wash the dishes! I DO NOT WASH DISHES, DIB!"

Dib quickly stuttered out, "I-I-I was at Zim's house."

Gaz's eyes narrowed back to there usual glare, "All night? What were you doing at Zim's house all night?"

Dib went to answer, but realised that he couldn't tell Gaz, as that would be revealing Zim's drug habits, so all he could say was "Err..."

For a moment Gaz just glared down at him, waiting for a real answer, then slowly her eyes widened and all her anger momentarily vanished, "Dib...you didn't..."

Dib looked up at her rising an eyebrow before he realised what she was getting at, he jumped up from the snow, half in anger and half in disgust. "NO WAY! GAZ! That's just nasty!"

However, she cast a mischievous smile and crossed her arms across her chest, "Well, what where you doing then?"

Dib opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if he was trying to come up with a variable answer, before he placed his head on one hand and waved to his side, "Zim, you tell her."

However, when there was no answer he lifted his head up. "Zim?"

Dib looked around, but the Irken was no where to be seen.

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WOO! YEAH! Did ya like that? HUH? DID YA? The world cup is on and I have no time for football. It's UBER mega hot in Britain right now, so I'm suspicious, it's never hot in the summer here…ever. It's meant to rain, that's what we're famous for…

Bloody global warming.

So there it is. The whole first half finished, I'm gonna break this fic off here for a while so I can work a bit on some other stuff and get some more chapters of the second half of this fic. Also I need do a bit of work on Netbug900's challenge, it's mega dark...

The second half is gonna be called 'Beautiful Torment' as in the drug being amazing to Zim, but the after effects and the lifestyle being horrific. It can also apply to something else that is to be included; let's say that the Irken bunny girl will become more...real. At least to Zim anyway. I mean, so far it's only really affected his body, now it's about to reaaaalllyy mess with his mind. I'm considering adding some authors notes, like I did with 'I am', explain some concepts some ideas and have some hints on what's to come and things. I suppose you could just tell me in your own interpretations in your reviews.

Oh, and before I forget. Wallflower-chan did this wonderful request for me. An E.A. Zim! The link aint gonna show, so just go to her profile and follow the links to her dev-art page, then click on the Earthly Addictions picture. Even though the clothing is slighty off, it's still kick arse. I got it as me backround 'n' everything.

Btw please review...and I hope you all look forward to part 2.

Thank you and goodnight.(Takes a bow to round of applause)


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